


Vigilante

by SupercityCarnival



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Black Leather, F/F, Mentions of drugs, supercat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-05
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-05-31 12:55:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6470752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SupercityCarnival/pseuds/SupercityCarnival
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a mysterious vigilante taking down drug dealers. Supergirl and Cat Grant get involved with unexpected consequences.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is just set up. Let me know what you think!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying something new. It's a little dark. Hopefully, still entertaining.

It was raining in National City tonight. It was a hard rain. It made the air heavy. Things were happening all over the city. It was a Sunday night. Couples were out for a night on the town, despite the rain. Families were playing board games and getting ready to start the school week. There was a new exhibit opening at the art museum. There was a fundraiser gala downtown. 

But in the abandoned quarters of the warehouse district, something more sinister was happening. Several cars were parked outside of one of the ramshackle buildings. A faint light could be seen coming from a few of the windows on the bottom floor. 

Inside, about twenty men were working furiously. Some of them were breaking open a few large wooden crates and sifting through the packing material to find the desired contents. They took the bricks and set them on a table where others took the them and cut them down into more easily packaged and less detectable amounts. 

It took a long time. Cutting, measuring, packaging, and distributing. By the end of the night everyone there would be high simply from hours of handling the stuff. There were a few bosses, walking around and keeping everything in check. 

They made sure the cuts were clean and that none of the fine powder was wasted by rough lines that made the bricks crumble. They made sure the measurements were right so that every smaller bag had the same amount. Otherwise, they would catch shit from their distributors. Finally, they made sure the orders were filled correctly. This many kilos set aside for this buyer, that many bags set aside for that buyer, etcetera.

Some of the orders had to be filled tonight. The bosses did that too. They took these larger orders and personally delivered them to the buyers, who would distribute the product down the chain. The guy who seemed to be in charge called out across the room to another boss. 

“Hey, Nicko. This order for the South end is ready. You wanna take it now?” 

Nicko looked around. Things were running smoothly and they were almost done. He nodded back and replied, “Yeah, I’ll take it now. I need to be getting home. My wife will be wondering where I am.”

He walked to the other end of the large open warehouse area where they would hold the bigger orders until they could move them safely or until they were picked up. The order for the South end was the smallest and they always wanted to move these large amounts as soon as possible. That’s why this part of the job happened on Sunday when the police presence was down on the street after a busy weekend. 

Nicko picked up two large duffel bags and walked outside into the rain. It wasn’t coming down as hard now. He opened the trunk of his car and set the bags down. When he closed the trunk, he looked around. It felt like someone was watching. Paranoia was your friend in this business. This area of the warehouse district was always dark. That’s why they came here, but it made him nervous anyway. 

He walked around to the driver’s side and got inside and started the car. Once he was inside the car, he looked around again, stealing glances at all the alley ways. When he was confident no one had seen him, he pulled into the street and began driving to the South end. 

What Nicko hadn’t seen was the masked figure in a car one block over. As he began driving, the figure in the car slowly pulled out as well, leaving their lights off and tailing Nicko…

\---------------------------------------------------------------

“I hope someone has brought something in here to dazzle me. This weather is beginning to affect my mood.” 

Cat Grant sat behind her desk as all of CatCo’s department heads stood in her office, ready to pitch the story ideas that they thought were winners. Kara stood off to the side, taking minutes on her tablet of the meeting. She would take an occasional look in Cat’s direction, admiring her. 

One guy from Politics started with, “Well, there’s something new with Donald Trump-,”

“Isn’t there always,” Cat interrupted. She rolled her eyes. “Unfortunately, whatever it is will sell. Write it.” 

Next, a woman from Human Interest asked, “I had an idea to go back and revisit some of Supergirl's biggest rescues. Re interview some people and see how their encounter with Supergirl changed their lives.”

Cat’s mouth quirked up in a small smile. She was open to publishing anything that shed National City's hero in a positive light. “I like it,” she affirmed, nodding. She looked around the room and questioned with raised eye brows, a little annoyed, “What else?” 

The head of the Crime department spoke up, “Ms. Grant, the police caught Nicholas ‘Nicko' Copelli last night. He’s the third major drug kingpin that’s been hand delivered to NCPD in the last two months. They have to be related. Now, I know I brought this up before, but there’s a story in how the cops are getting their hands on these guys.”

Cat stayed quiet. He knew her silence was an indication to continue. “Someone is out there taking these guys down and turning them in to the police. Even the cops don’t know who it is. They haven’t even taken credit for the busts because they’re hoping their accomplice will come forward.”

Cat shook her head. “I’ll say the same thing I said last time you brought this. There isn’t enough to print anything worth reading. All you can write are theories and we print facts. Which we don’t have any of, in this case. Get me facts.”

He sighed and nodded. Cat dismissed everyone with a simple wave of her hand. As everyone filtered out of the office, Kara came to stand in front of Cat’s desk. She secretly felt privileged that she was the one that got to stay after everyone else had to leave. 

She’d always looked up to Cat. She had always respected her no nonsense attitude and her confidence. She loved that Cat took the high ground whenever confronted with a moral crossroad. She was smart, she was brave, and she was beautiful. 

Over time, Kara knew that her admiration had grown into something more. She had tried to tell herself a hundred times that the attraction she felt to Cat was just infatuation. But she couldn’t deny how her heart skipped a beat whenever Cat was close to her. She’d decided a long time ago that there was no outrunning her feelings for Cat Grant. Though she also knew there was no chance of them being reciprocated. So she simply dealt with them. 

But when Cat would give her an occasional smile, she longed for so much more. Some days the torture was so great that she would consider quitting. But then Cat would give Kara one of her veiled compliments and she was lured back in. 

More than anything, though, she wanted to keep Cat safe. Too many times, Kara had seen Cat threatened. Whether from inside CatCo’s own ranks or from a villain with a vendetta, Kara would be there to protect her. If she couldn’t have Cat, at least she could keep her safe for the rest of the world. Even if Cat never knew Kara was Supergirl.

So here she stood. Watching Cat sit behind her desk, waiting. Cat was checking her mobile devices for breaking news. Without looking up, she told Kara, “Kiera, order up lunch for both of us. I need your help with some editing.”

“Of course, Ms. Grant. Any preferences?”

“I trust your judgement,” she replied, again without looking up. Kara recognized it as one of those veiled compliments. Cat wasn’t just talking about lunch. With one last look, she turned to leave the office and order.

She didn’t see Cat look up, watching her as she walked away. Cat glanced up from her device, considering Kara. She didn’t really need Kara’s help with the editing. She did, however, appreciate Kara’s input. The younger woman’s intuition for what made a good story and a good layout had matured drastically. And she also enjoyed Kara’s company.

She would never admit it to anyone, but she’d become fond of Kara. Maybe too fond. She thought about her far too often for being a simple assistant. But there was nothing simple about Kara. Cat knew that underneath the sunny, optimistic personality ran a deep river of emotion. Kara was much more than meets the eye. 

The truth was that Kara had deserved a promotion a long time ago, but Cat didn’t want to let her go. She was fantastic at her job. But more than that, she was the solace that kept Cat’s heart light in the inevitable chaos that came with her job. 

A short time later, Kara came back into the office and wordlessly set up two trays with lunch for each of them. She let Cat work until she had lunch ready. 

She got Cat’s attention with a simple, “Ms. Grant.”

When Cat looked up, she saw Kara already sitting on the sofa, waiting for her. She gave Kara a small smile and slipped her glasses off, setting them on the desk. She stood and walked around to the sofa. She made sure not to sit too close to Kara. She always made sure she sat a little farther away than what seemed appropriate. That way she was sure that she was, in fact, being appropriate. 

Cat had hard copies of the articles she wanted she and Kara to take a look at sitting on the coffee table. Kara had already taken one off the top and was carefully reading. Cat moved to pick up the next one. Kara’s voice stopped her. 

“You should relax for a minute, Ms. Grant. You’ve been going without a break for over six hours.”

Cat looked at her and offered her the small smile again. She didn’t protest. Setting the paper clipped article back down, she turned to her lunch. They sat like that for a while. Cat eating. Kara eating and reading, setting her food down occasionally to make a note. They didn’t mind the silence. 

After a while, Cat quietly asked Kara, “Do you think I’m holding you back?”

“Ms. Grant?” Kara smiled that confused, goofy smile that she used when she didn’t understand what Cat was getting at. 

“Professionally. Do you think I’m holding you back professionally? You’ve been my assistant for over two years,” Cat started. “No one expects to be an assistant that long in this business. Everyone expects more when they do a good job. And you’ve done an amazing job.”

Kara’s expression became more confused. “Do you not want me to be your assistant anymore?”

Cat smiled again, then looked away for a moment, like she knew she was smiling too much. “Of course I do. But I also want you to understand that you are appreciated here. You deserve a promotion if you want one.”

Kara answered immediately, shaking her head. “I don’t want one.” After a pointed look at Cat to let her know she was serious, she turned back to her work. 

Cat sighed, trying not to show her relief. She picked up the next article and went to work. For another two hours, they sat there going through articles. Kara would show Cat her edits for Cat’s approval. Cat looked them over and nodded. Kara was getting good at this. 

Next were layouts. Kara brought the proofs from the Art Department for them to look over. She set them on the table and they both leaned over to grab one. Upon reaching for the same one, they froze as their fingers over lapped on the plastic covering. They looked at each other, fingers still touching. Kara saw something in Cat’s eyes. She was afraid to name it, but she swore it looked like longing. But Kara also knew by the expression she felt on her own face that she had given too much away. She wasn’t as practiced as Cat at control. 

Kara pulled her hand away without a word and Cat simply took the page, offering Kara a reprieve by choosing not to say anything. 

Kara cursed herself inwardly. There’s no way her feelings hadn’t come through on her face. She should’ve taken that promotion, she thought. Suddenly Cat’s proximity seemed too close. She discreetly scooted a little farther away, feeling nervous. She tried to shake off the anxiety. 

The rest of day went by quickly. As Cat was getting ready to leave the office, she called out, “Kiera.”

Kara stepped in a second later. “Yes, Ms. Grant?”

“Can you print out the itineraries for the board meeting tomorrow morning and go ahead and set up the board room?”

Kara flashed her a smile. “Of course.”

Cat smiled back and paused. They looked at each other. “Thank you,” Cat finally said. Kara just nodded and turned to leave the room. It had been another veiled compliment. Kara could always tell by the tone in her voice. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------

That evening at the Grant’s residence, Cat made dinner for her and Carter. Shortly after they sat down to eat, Cat asked him, “How was school? Are things getting better?”

Carter shrugged. He’d been through a lot lately. “I guess,” was all he said. Cat’s heart had been hurting for her son. 

“I know you miss her, sweetheart.” 

He nodded. Kari had been his first girlfriend. Or at least as much of a boyfriend and girlfriend you can be before you’re in high school. Carter was a sweet boy and he felt things deeply. It had been hard for him to open up to a girl in the first place, and then to lose her. Especially the way he did. 

Cat tried to think of something comforting to say. Nothing came to mind so she slipped her hand across the table and squeezed Carter’s hand. He looked up and gave her a weak smile. 

“I promise it will get easier,” she told him. 

They finished their dinner and Carter cleared the table for his mom. “Hey, you want to watch a movie,” Cat offered. 

“No,” he responded. “But you can play a video game with me.” This time he gave her a genuine smile. 

Cat gave him a full smile, happy see a positive response. She pointed at him, narrowed her eyes, and said, “You’re on.”

For the next two hours mother and son were glued to the couch, Carter laughing as Cat tried to simply master the controls and Cat playfully punching his arm when he made fun of her. Finally, Cat couldn’t take it anymore. “Okay, okay. I concede.” She held up her hands. 

“There’s no shame in admitting defeat, mom. As long as you tried your best.” He was patronizing her. She didn’t mind. At least he seemed happier.

She smiled at him and put a hand on his cheek. “I love you, Carter.”

He smiled back. “Love you, too, mom.” With that, he left to head up stairs and get to bed. Cat sighed deeply. She was relieved she’d been able to comfort him, even if it was temporary. 

With Carter in bed, it was time for her to get some more work done. She went into her home office and sat down at the computer. With every key stroke she became laser focused on the task at hand. Combing through police interviews, news articles, and footage. She was searching for something. Her eyes narrowed as she watched a piece of security footage she’d seen over a dozen times. But she spotted something new. 

She sat back, considering what to do. She needed to gather more information. She leaned forward and watched the video clip again. It definitely wasn’t her imagination. This was the connection she had been looking for.

Cat rose from the chair at her desk. She walked back into the kitchen and reached up into a cabinet, pulling down a bottle of amber liquid. She filled a glass with two fingers of bourbon and took a sip. Then she grabbed a note pad and scribbled a note to Carter in case he woke up, telling him she had to go into the office at CatCo. 

She walked through the house and upstairs, quietly slipping into her bedroom and closing the door. She took another sip, looking toward her walk-in closet. 

She walked over and opened the door. When she entered the closet, she closed the door behind her. Taking another sip, she set the glass down on a shelf. Cat went across the closet and pushed aside some hanging clothes, revealing a wall safe. She punched the combination into the keypad and then pressed her small palm to the scanner. The latches on the safe released. 

Cat opened the safe and pulled out its contents. She looked at them and sighed, closing her eyes. She felt so tired, but she pushed the feeling aside. She opened her eyes and exhaled, setting her jaw. She began to undress and change clothes. She shed her slacks, blouse, and blazer and pulled on the clothes that came from the safe. 

They were all black. She slipped on the tight black leather pants. Then she grabbed a black shirt. Next the pulled on the black leather boots. They were simple and the leather was supple. She zipped them up. The black leather jacket was next. She pulled it over her shoulders and zipped the diagonal zipper all the way up from her hip to the opposite side of her neck. She turned back to the shelf where she had left her glass. She picked it up and tossed her head back, downing the rest in one big gulp. She pressed her eyes tight together for just a second. 

Cat looked to the pile of items she had pulled from the safe. Just a few things left. She took a black utility belt and buckled it around her hips. There was a small case among the items. She opened it to reveal ten matching black cuff bracelets. They were the third most important items she wore. She slipped one on each wrist. 

Next, she reached back into the safe, pulling out the second most important items. Two battle staves. They were made of a strong poly alloy, hollow on the inside, making them extra light. They were two feet long, but extended out to four. She could attach them, making one long eight foot pole when she needed to. She clipped them to the belt. Then she put on a pair of leather gloves.

Finally, she reached up to pull out the last item. The most important item she wore. A black Venetian style mask to cover the top half of her face. It was made of an adhesive material that bonded to her skin. She only had to press it to her face to make it stay in place and it easily peeled off. 

With her ensemble complete, she opened the door to the small balcony attached to her bedroom. She lightly stepped on to the edge. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the cool air. Then, with a smooth jump, Cat Grant stole into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat's late night plan backfires. 
> 
> Her extra curricular activities are starting to affect her at work. She seeks comfort in Kara. 
> 
> But to top off her rough day, her identity might be compromised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, after writing the second chapter, I think I'm getting into it. Again, trying something new. It's a little dark. We'll see how it goes.

Cat pulled the 1998 Cutlass up a couple blocks from the very building she had been at the night before. The one where she had started tailing Nicko. Her car was dark colored and would easily blend into the shadows. Of course, it wasn’t her everyday Mercedes. She had bought and registered the car under an alias and kept it parked anonymously in an alley a few blocks from her house. It wasn’t worthy of notice and that made it perfect for the task she bought it for. Not being noticed. 

She parked the car and took a look around. It was dark and passed midnight. When she was sure no one was outside to see her, she quickly exited the vehicle and slipped into the alley way on the same side of the street as the building she was trying to get to. 

She slipped along the shadows, her black clothing making her practically invisible. Within a couple minutes, she had her back against the side of the old warehouse. She knew there would still be at least a couple of orders left waiting for pick up, which meant someone would be there to guard it. Whoever was guarding it had information she needed. 

Cat was just about to duck out of the shadows to have a peek through one of the windows when a car pulled up. She stayed put as her heart began to race. She hadn’t been caught yet and she had to stay cool if she was going to keep it that way. 

She inched to the edge of the wall and just barely stole a glance toward the car. A tall man with blond hair got out. He looked about mid forties. Cat recognized him. His name was John Bossey. Cat couldn’t believe her luck. He was a lieutenant to the king of this whole operation. Cat’s ultimate target. The one from the video she had been watching earlier. 

She made a conscious effort to control her breathing. She needed to think about how to play this. She could tail him to wherever he was making his delivery. That’s how she had been able to take down the other three. She followed them, knocked them unconscious, sometimes with ease, sometimes it took a little scuffle. Then she loaded them into the trunk of her car and dropped them close to an NCPD station with a note telling the police where to find more like him. Then she called in the location with a burner phone. 

But those were lower end guys. John Bossey would surely be making one of the larger deliveries, and that meant there would be people waiting for him. People with guns. No, she couldn’t risk running into that. She needed to do it here. 

The storm front that had settled over the city went to work again. A soft rain began to fall. Cat waited until Bossey went inside, then she came up along the side of the warehouse. She ducked outside a window and looked in. He was talking to a younger man. Cat noticed the hand gun tucked into his waist band. Bossey would also surely have one. After they talked, they both turned to the corner where the orders had been stacked. They began picking up bags to take back to the car. 

Cat went back to her hiding place in the shadows behind the wall. It took three trips for them to get all the bags of cocaine for the order. The longer it took, the more emotion Cat felt. She hated them and their disgusting business. She could hear the leather of her gloves scrunching as she clenched her fists. She kept thinking of Kari and Carter. She closed her eyes and forced the feelings away. She needed to stay focused. 

Bossey finally came back out and headed to his car. It was time. Cat unclipped the staves from her belt. She gripped them tight and came out of the shadows. The special noise dampening material on the bottom her boots made her footsteps undetectable as she crept up behind him. 

When she was only a couple feet behind him, Cat lifted both staves up and to the side and brought them down hard across Bossey’s back! He cried out and immediately hit his knees. He reached a hand to his back. Cat pushed the end of one of the staves to the back of his head, knowing he would mistake it for the barrel of a gun. 

He did. And he froze. “What do you want?” His voice was hard. 

“Where can I find your boss?” Cat asked him, her own voice hard. 

Bossey laughed. “I don’t know who you are, or what the hell you think you’re doing, but you can’t possibly believe I’m just going to give you any information you want.”

“If you want to stay out of prison, unlike your friends, you should tell me what I want to know,” Cat spoke slowly, pushing the stave a little harder against his head. 

But before he could answer, the door to the warehouse was thrown open. The younger man walked quickly toward them, gun pointed right at Cat. He shouted to her, “You back the fuck up, right now, bitch, or I swear to God-,”

He was cut off when Cat accurately threw one stave at him, hitting his hands hard, making him drop the gun! She had practiced for months for that kind of precision and force. Bossey took the split second opportunity and got to his feet. He lunged himself at Cat! 

In a swift movement, she turned and thrust her hip into him, grabbing his arm. She used his own forward moment and flipped him over her hip. He fell to the ground on his already bruised back. She quickly brought the other stave down hard on his chest, using her entire body and dropping to a knee to follow the movement through making the blow twice as hard. He tried to breath through cracked ribs. 

Cat saw the younger man fumbling in the dark trying to find the gun. She quickly moved up behind him. Slipping again to one knee with one smooth move she snatched her second stave from the ground and smashed it against the lower part of his legs in a clothesline movement, sweeping his feet out from under him! He fell backwards, hitting the back of his head on the concrete as he fell, immediately going unconscious. 

Cat was on her feet in a instant. With practiced ease, she flicked her wrists, extending the staves to their full length then quickly screwed the two together, making a long pole. As she walked back over to Bossey, she simultaneously twirled the pole over her head, bringing it down on the hand that she was sure would be going for a gun. It was. The gun flew several feet away. She thrust the pole against his throat, keeping her distance. 

Cat breathed deeply, watching him, willing her rage to subside. She asked again, more forcefully this time, “Where can I find your boss?”

Bossey was struggling to breath. He choked out, “Fuck you.” 

Cat could see that she wasn’t going to get anywhere. She pulled the pole back and then shoved it into his chin, hard, knocking his head against the ground. He was out. 

Cat slowly stood up tall, closing her eyes and turning her face toward the sky. She let the light rain cool her. She focused on taking deep breathes and calming herself. The rain was helping. When she had regained her composure, she looked around. Both men were unconscious on the ground. She had gotten no information and there was no way she could get both in her car.

“Shit,” she whispered under her breath. What a waste of time. This was the first time she had tried talking to one of them instead of the usual apprehend and deliver. It didn’t go so well. She was counting on getting information before turning Bossey in. 

She made a decision. She would leave them. Bossey needed to stay in play. He was close to her target. If she could pick him up again later, she could follow him up the chain. She hated to do it, though.

Then she looked to the car. The least she could do was destroy their product. She slowly made her way into the warehouse, weapons at the ready. She checked the first floor. It was clear. She looked over the area, hoping to find a tidbit of something she could use. On one of the tables lay a notebook. 

Cat clipped the staves back to her belt and picked up the notebook. She began flipping through it. A smile crossed her face. It hadn’t been a waste of time. In the notebook were orders and buyers going back for months. She folded up the notebook and tucked it inside her jacket. Then she turned her attention to the rest of the bags in the corner. 

Several minutes later, Cat had pulled all the bags outside into the middle of the street. She popped Bossey’s trunk and pulled those bags out, adding them to the pile in the street. She walked back to her Cutlass and opened the trunk, pulling out some fuel and a small propane torch. She doused the bags with the fuel, then lit it up. At least these orders wouldn’t be filled. And it would disrupt their whole operation. It was something. 

She got inside her car and started the drive home. She sighed deeply. She needed sleep. And she had to be at CatCo in a few short hours. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------

Kara was waiting for Cat, as usual. She kept glancing up to the door of the private elevator. Cat was late. Not late, late, but late for her. The board meeting was in less than an hour. Just as Kara picked up her phone to call her, her super hearing picked up the sound of the elevator coming up. 

She picked up Cat’s latte and pulled the top off, discreetly heating the liquid with her heat vision. Standing, she walked around her desk with her tablet. When the elevator dinged, the doors opened. Kara expected to see Cat’s lithe form stalking out onto the floor, confident as always. 

But it took a full five seconds before Cat appeared. And when she did, she looked exhausted. Even with the cloudy weather, Cat had her sunglasses on. Her shoulders were slumped and she was walking slowly. No one seemed to notice the change in her demeanor besides Kara.

Cat had come in before with a slight hangover and Kara assumed that accounted for Cat’s appearance today. She reached across her desk to pick up the bottle of Advil. She handed Cat the latte when she walked passed her and into the office. Kara followed her. When she sat down behind the desk, Cat finally slipped her sunglasses off. 

Kara’s face immediately donned a compassionate expression. She’d never seen Cat look so tired. Her eyes were hooded and dark. There wasn’t as much color in her cheeks. She was staring at her desk. 

“Ms. Grant.” Cat’s eyes snapped up at hearing Kara’s voice. Kara held out the bottle of Advil. Cat took it gratefully. 

“Thank you,” she said, popping a couple of the pills in her mouth. She sighed. Kara could tell she was having problems focusing. “I need a copy of the itinerary for the board meeting, please, Kiera.”

Kara furrowed her brows. Cat never said ‘please.’ She leaned forward and tapped a piece of paper that she had already left on Cat’s desk. It was the itinerary. 

Cat sighed again. “Thank you, again.” She began reading the page. Kara turned to leave when she heard, “Kiera.” Kara turned back. Cat looked so troubled. She hesitated before saying, “I’m going to need your help a little more than usual today keeping me on task.” 

Kara just nodded. “Of course. Whatever you need. I’ll come get you when it’s time for the meeting.” Cat nodded and Kara turned to leave. 

Cat dropped her face into her hands. She was so tired. And her mind kept drifting back to the night before. During her drive home, she had become unsure whether she made the right move. But it didn’t matter now. It was done. She just hoped it didn’t put her two steps behind. She had worked so hard to get to this point. 

She shook her head. She couldn’t think about that now. It was time to focus on CatCo. She picked up the itinerary and opened her laptop, ready to get to work. 

Outside the office, Kara was sitting at her desk, watching Cat. She had noticed Cat’s increasing distraction over the last few months. It had started with Kari, Carter’s girlfriend. His first girlfriend. Cat had been so proud of him for reaching out to her. Cat said she was kind and sweet. But then she was gone. Four months ago, Kari had been killed, shot, and the killer was never found. It had effected Carter profoundly, and subsequently, it had effected Cat as well. She was heartbroken for Carter. Cat used to talk about Carter to Kara often, but after Kari, she barely mentioned him anymore. It was too sad.

Kara looked toward the board room. Most of the members had filtered in. They were looking over their itineraries and making notes. Kara would give Cat a few more minutes. She glanced back to Cat’s desk and continued watching over her. 

At five minutes until the meeting, Kara knocked at the door to Cat’s office, getting her attention. Cat looked up. Kara pointed to the board room and Cat nodded. She rose from her chair and took a breath, readying herself. 

When she walked out of the office, she absentmindedly brushed her hand against Kara’s arm. She hadn’t meant to, but she didn’t mind it. Kara hadn’t pulled away, and she knew Kara didn’t mind it either. Even the small touch was rejuvenating to Cat. She was ready to get this meeting over with. She held her head up as she walked through the door. 

Kara continued her work for the next couple hours, occasionally glancing up at the board room. Cat looked like she was doing well. She was walking around the room, her confident swagger in place. She smiled when she needed to and laughed at jokes when she was supposed to. She effortlessly guided the meeting until every item on the itinerary was covered. 

When the meeting was over, Cat leaned against the door, holding it open while she shook each board member’s hand and offered a smile and a goodbye to all of them. After they had all gone, Kara saw as she physically released her shoulders and leaned back against the door again, closing her eyes. 

She came back over to her office and stopped in front of Kara’s desk. She asked, “What’s next?”

With one click on her computer, Kara brought up Cat’s schedule. “No meetings until after lunch,” she looked up at Cat. “Maybe you should take a break. You seem tired, Ms. Grant.” 

Cat rolled her eyes at Kara’s observation. “If I take a break, I’m going go fall asleep.” Cat just walked back into her office and sat down behind the desk, picking up the phone to make some calls. 

After some time, Kara looked up to see the office empty. She glanced around, looking for Cat. She was suddenly aware of how protective she’d become of Cat. She needed to know the other woman was okay. She stood up and walked into the office to check the first place she knew Cat would go for a break. 

She looked through the windows and onto the balcony. There she was. Kara stopped and took her in. She knew she would do anything within all her power to make Cat feel better. She couldn’t help herself. Her feet moved toward the balcony. 

She slowly came out the door. Cat was leaning forward with her forearms on the edge of the balcony railing. The storm front was still over the city and it was a little chilly outside. The wind was blowing Cat’s blond hair. Kara wanted so much to touch her. Instead, she walked up and mirrored Cat’s position a few feet away from her. 

They stayed there for a moment, then Kara dared to ask, “How’s Carter?”

Cat didn’t answer immediately. Kara was the only person she trusted to ask her about Carter. When she did answer, she was quiet, “He’s okay. He’s still sad.” She looked at Kara and her lips quirked up. “But he did let me play a video game with him last night.”

Kara let out a small laugh. The thought of Cat trying to play a video game was hilarious. But she knew Cat would do anything to make Carter happy. 

Cat smiled at Kara’s laugh. “He laughed a lot. It was nice to hear.”

“That’s good,” Kara said. After another minute, Kara asked, “Ms. Grant, what’s going on? I know that Carter has been going through a lot with losing Kari, but there’s something going on. Something with you.” 

Cat just looked at her. She changed her position so that her back was leaning against the edge of the balcony. She looked at the ground. Her hair fell around her face. Kara could only think about how beautiful she was. 

Cat struggled with how to answer. A year ago, she would have dismissed Kara’s question by telling her that it was inappropriate for her to ask Cat something so personal. But they had been through a lot together. They trusted each other. Secretly, Cat loved that Kara could tell something was wrong. Though Cat always wondered why Kara didn’t trust her with her biggest secret. But she figured Kara had her reasons and as much as she respected Kara and Supergirl, she would respect that she wanted her secret to remain a secret. 

She looked over to Kara. “I’m tired,” was all she managed to say. It seemed like the right answer. She wasn’t just physically tired. She was mentally spent. She was emotionally at her wit’s end. The truth was that the deeper she dove into National City’s underbelly, the more she felt the darkness creeping in. And it was almost more than she could take. She didn’t think it would be like this. 

Kara saw the conflict on Cat’s face and took a step closer. Cat looked up at her again and Kara saw tears in her eyes. They didn’t spill over onto her cheeks. Cat would never let that happen. Kara stepped even closer. 

Cat turned to face her. When she spoke, it was barely audible. “Maybe you could just...,” she trailed off, her eyes pleading with Kara. 

Kara knew exactly what she was asking for. She took the last couple steps and was standing in front of Cat. Their eyes were glued to each other. Then Cat’s eyes slipped closed and she let her head drop to Kara’s shoulder. Kara closed her eyes and lifted her arms to encircle Cat and pull her close. Cat turned her face toward Kara’s neck and settled her hands on Kara’s hips. 

She melted into Kara and let herself be pulled impossibly close. It felt so good. She breathed out and finally relaxed. Cat couldn’t remember the last time someone had just held her. Kara put her cheek against Cat’s forehead and Cat wrapped her arms around Kara. Cat thought about how well her small body fit against Kara. Kara thought about how soft Cat’s hair felt against her fingers. 

Neither wanted to break the contact. So they didn’t. Kara traced small circles on the back of Cat’s shoulder and Cat ran one hand up and down Kara’s back slowly. It felt amazing and it was only a hug. 

Finally, Cat sighed against Kara’s chest. She pulled back, feeling a little vulnerable. But when she looked at Kara’s face, there was only care looking back at her. She smiled a little at Kara, tilting her head, considering her. How did this happen? How had she let herself fall for Kara Danvers? With all of her precautions and all her defenses in place. Kara had managed to break through every wall. 

Kara blinked and the split second loss of eye contact was just enough to bring Cat back down to earth. She cleared her throat and stepped out of Kara’s arms. But she was still smiling. She broke the tension with a teasing threat. 

“If you tell anyone about this moment, I’ll kill you.” She held a finger up, indicating that she was serious, but Kara caught the light tone in her voice. She just smiled at Cat and held her hands up in concession. 

Kara’s expression grew serious. “I just want to help. However I can.” She opened her mouth to say something else, then stopped herself. 

Cat had the same idea. She wanted so much to tell Kara everything. Everything she was feeling, everything she was doing. Surely, Supergirl’s help would make all the difference. But it wasn’t her place to ask Supergirl for help. The hero had enough on her plate. And this was Cat’s vendetta. Really, though, she just wanted to have a meaningful conversation with Kara. 

Cat didn’t mean to say it. It wasn’t the right time. But she was so tired and she just wanted to stay with Kara. The invitation escaped her mouth before she could stop it. “We should get drinks sometime.” 

As soon as the words were out, she glanced away and closed her eyes. Stupid, she thought. She glanced back to Kara’s face. Her expression was hesitant. She knew Cat didn’t mean to say it. But she also knew that Cat wouldn’t have suggested it if she didn’t want to. She gave a simple answer. It was open ended and would leave Cat an out if she wanted one. “I would like that.” 

With one last smile at each other, Cat slowly walked passed Kara and back into the office. Kara followed. 

No sooner had Cat sat back down in her chair, when there was a knock on the office door. It was the head of the Crime Department. Cat waved him in as Kara walked out. 

“Danny, what can I do for you?” Cat asked him. 

“Ms. Grant, you told me to get facts on that drug dealer case. The dealers that were turned in to the police,” he reminded her. 

Cat’s heart rate suddenly elevated. She kept her composure and nodded, trying to keep her expression passive. 

“Well, I got facts,” Danny said, holding his hands out, clearly happy with his progress. 

Cat turned on her dismissive attitude. “Well, don’t just stand there with a satisfied smirk. Tell me the facts.”

Danny came up to her desk and pulled out his phone. “I’ve got surveillance footage.” He turned his phone toward Cat and tapped the play button of a video. 

It was a grainy black and white feed. But it was clear. It was a wide shot of a street in the warehouse district. There was car parked in the street. Cat watched as a man walked toward the car. Then she watched a dark figure come up behind him with some kind of weapon and slammed it into the man’s back. 

Cat’s breathing became shallow. She could feel sweat forming on her forehead. The video showed her entire encounter with John Bossey and the other man the previous night. How could this have happened? Cat cursed in her head. She had checked a dozen time for cameras on that street. She always did recon on all the spots she went to. She purposely avoided any kind of detection. She knew there were no cameras around the area. 

Danny put his phone away and looked at Cat expectantly. She cleared her throat, hoping he hadn’t noticed her dismay. 

“Where,” she began and paused. “Um, where did you get this?” She pointed toward his phone. 

He had been waiting for her to ask and answered quickly. “The guy that owns the warehouse across the street heard there was some shady things going on in the area. Apparently he keeps some valuable things in his property and got the cameras installed yesterday morning.” Danny threw up his hands. “Can you believe it? Yesterday morning!”

Cat fake smiled at him and slowly shook her head, truthfully stating, “I can’t believe it.” Well, shit, she thought. It was a story now. 

Danny went on. “I have a contact at the PD and he leaked me the footage. This is the person that’s been taking these guys down. We have to find out who this is,” he said excitedly, holding up his phone. “Not to mention why they didn’t turn these guys in. What did they burn in the street? There’s a lot here, Ms. Grant.”

She didn’t have a choice. It would be too suspicious if she killed the story now. She asked him, “Have you gotten stills from the video for print?”

“James Olsen is working on it now.”

Cat just nodded. “Okay, Danny. Write it. Bring me a draft.” 

“Thanks, Ms. Grant.” With that, he walked out quickly, ready to get to work. 

Cat sat back in her chair. She brought her fingers up to cover her lips and closed her eyes. Her heart was pounding. She couldn’t believe it. In one moment, it seemed like all the work she had done for months would be undone. Not only that, but she could be discovered. Cat Grant, Queen of all Media by day, vigilante by night. 

No, this couldn’t happen. She saw Carter’s face in her mind. She saw Kari’s parents at her funeral. The police had done nothing. A twelve year old girl, murdered in the street and no one seemed to care. Not in her city. And now, when she was so close to not only proving who had pulled the trigger, but being able to bring him and his operation down, it was all about to unravel. 

She felt herself panicking. She turned so that the back of her chair faced the bullpen. She breathed deeply. Then she thought. 

The video had been pretty low quality. They might be able to tell it was a woman, but no one would ever realize it was her. If nothing else, this video coming into the light might throw the man she was seeking off balance. He might make a mistake she could capitalize on. 

She turned her chair back around. This could end up being the break she needed. Just then, her cell phone dinged with a text message alert. She picked it up. It was from Carter. She smiled instantly and opened it. 

‘Hey, mom. I know it’s a school night, but there’s this movie that just came out that I really want to see. All the kids are talking about it. Can we see it tonight?’

It was a no brainer. Anything that would get him interacting with the other kids again. She quickly texted back, ‘Absolutely!’ 

She needed to lay low for a couple days anyway. She checked the clock. It was almost the end of the day. She turned back to her computer as Kara walked in with some files. 

“Ms. Grant,” she looked at Cat with a smile. “Here are layouts for you to look at.” She set the stack down on the table. 

“Thank you, Kiera.” Kara turned to leave. Cat quickly stood, not wanting her to go. “About those drinks,” she called after her. Kara stopped in her tracks. She turned back, her lips pressed together. Cat knew she was trying not to smile too much. 

“Yes,” she asked. 

Cat shrugged. “What about tomorrow night?” Her face was hopeful. 

Kara gave her a shy smile, looking away for a minute. That made Cat smile. She’s so adorable, Cat thought. 

“Tomorrow night, on one condition,” Kara said and Cat tilted her head in curiosity. “You have to call me by my real name.”

Cat dipped her head down. That was fair. She looked back up and nodded. Just then Kara’s phone made a loud alert noise in her hand. It startled her and she jumped. She glanced down sharply, not wanting to take her eyes off Cat. The message was from Alex. 

‘Need you to come in. Trouble in the city.’

She looked back to Cat apologetically. “I have to go.” She was already taking a slow step backwards. 

Cat just said softly, “I’m sure it’s very important.” Kara nodded and turned to leave. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Only a short time later, Kara came into the DEO decked out in her Supergirl apparel. She stood tall and her jaw was set. Her hair fell around her shoulders and bounced a little as she entered the bullpen. 

Alex grinned toward her as she came in. “Hey, sis.”

Kara smiled back. “Hey.” She squeezed Alex’s arm as she came up along side her. “So what’s up?”

“Have you seen this?” Alex asked the question at the same time as she pushed play, starting a video on one of the large screens. 

It was surveillance video. Kara recognized the area as a largely abandoned part of the warehouse district. There was a car parked in the shot. After a moment, a man stepped into the shot toward the car. Then a figure in black stepped up quickly behind him. 

Kara narrowed her eyes and watched as the figure cleanly took him down. She watched as it looked like the they were talking to the man. Next, another man came out of a door with a gun pointed at the figure in black. The figure threw one of their weapons, knocking away the gun. 

Then Kara watched as the first man attacked the smaller figure, but they easily tossed him to the ground and smashed his rib cage in a fluid motion. 

Kara let out a loud, “Ohh,” like she was watching a fight scene from a movie. 

Alex said, “Just wait.”

Kara continued watching as the black figure quickly stalked over to the other man, who was looking for his gun. With impressive speed, they grabbed their second weapon from where it had fallen and swept his feet out from under him. Watching his head hit the ground, Kara hissed, “Oww.”

Then, she watched as the figure attached the two separate weapons to make one long weapon. She lifted her eye brows as she watched them spin the weapon overhead while walking back to the first man, still on the ground. The spin put the weapon in just the right position to slam the gun out of his hand. 

“Wow,” Kara said. “They look like they might be as good as you in a fight.”

Alex huffed and glared at her sister. As they continued watching, it looked like the figure was trying to talk to the first man again. Then they knocked him out as well. After some time inside the building, the figure dragged several large duffel bags into the street and lit them on fire. 

Alex stopped the video and looked at Kara. Kara still has her eye brows up, impressed by the figure. She answered Alex’s original question, “No, I haven’t seen it. But one of the reporters at CatCo has been bugging Ms. Grant about running a story on someone turning three drug dealers in to the police.”

“Has she run the story?”

“No. She says there isn’t enough to print a good story.” Kara paused and pointed to the screen. “Do you think this is that person?”

Alex shrugged. “We don’t know. We just got this footage a couple hours ago. So this person has turned in three dealers and the police haven’t moved on any of their known associates?”

“Yeah,” Kara nodded, “And the department head at CatCo says they’ve even left notes with the dealers telling the police who to look at and where to find them.”

Alex shook her head slowly. Drugs had become an increasing problem in National City. Though the DEO didn’t really get involved with local law enforcement matters, Alex was thinking about making an exception. 

“Play it again,” she heard Kara say. Alex hit the play button again. The entire altercation lasted less than a minute. 

“Wait,” Kara said quietly. “Sorry, can you play it again?”

Alex furrowed her brow. “Yeah. You see something?”

“Maybe,” Kara answered. She watched again. Her expression became confused. “No,” she whispered, disbelieving. She snatched the remote from Alex and rewound, then hit play again. She tilted her head to the side. 

The sway in the hips. The way the figure let their hands fall to their sides and looked up to the sky when both men were down. The angle of the shoulders. They way they walked around lightly on their feet. The nonchalant movements of the hands when they were lighting up the bags. That hair. 

Kara let out an audible gasp and covered her open mouth with her hand. 

Alex quickly asked, “What is it?”

Kara reached out and lightly touched a finger to the figure on the screen. She turned to Alex and quietly, but firmly, said, “That’s Cat Grant.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: Kara and Cat go out for drinks but end up forced to square off as Supergirl and the Vigilante.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat and Kara are finally able to have some time alone, but it is interrupted when duty calls, and Supergirl and the Vigilante are forced to face off.

Kara had been feeling trepidatious since she walked into CatCo Worldwide Media that morning. She kept taking deep breathes. The discovery last evening had been jolting. Cat Grant was a masked vigilante, stalking through the night, taking down bad guys. Kara still couldn’t believe it. 

Now she was waiting for Cat to come into work, wondering how she would react when she saw her. 

She and Alex went over the video dozens of times. Alex kept asking if she was sure it was Cat. Every time she watched it, Kara became even more sure. She had been studying Cat’s movements and mannerisms for years. If she were looking at a crowd of silhouettes, she would pick Cat out in a second. 

They tried to come up with a plan. Of course, Alex’s first reaction had been, “Let’s bring her in.”

“Why, Alex, she hasn’t done anything wrong,” Kara countered. 

Alex’s eyes had gone wide. She lifted her hand toward the television screen. “She’s out there assaulting people. What if she gets the wrong person and hurts an innocent civilian?” Alex paused and looked pointedly at Kara, lowering her voice. “Or worse. What if she takes on someone she can’t handle and gets hurt herself.” 

Kara nodded. Cat getting hurt was the last thing she wanted. From the outside, looking in, Cat’s actions seemed reckless. But Kara knew her better than that. 

“She’s not reckless, Alex. She’s calculating. She would never do any of this if she wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing.”

Alex considered. She didn’t know Cat Grant. But she knew Kara did. “So, what,” Alex began, “she snapped one day and decided to clean the streets up herself? What the hell is she doing out there? And where did she learn to fight like that? And what are those weapons she’s using?” After a pause, Alex added, “I want some.”

Kara smiled at that. But all of Alex’s questions were valid. What was Cat thinking? How could Kara have not known about this? She pays such careful attention to the other woman. She knew something had been going on with Cat. She should have asked weeks ago. She should have pushed more, offered her help more forcefully. But, Kara knew Cat well enough to know that if Cat didn’t want her to know something, she wouldn’t know it. 

“Let me try to talk to her,” Kara said. “We trust each other.”

“How are you going to ask her about this in such a way that it doesn’t compromise your identity?” Alex brought up a good point. 

Kara sighed. “We’re supposed to have drinks tomorrow night. Maybe I can bring it up somehow then.” She hated even suggesting it. She had been waiting so long for an opportunity like this with Cat. Just the two of them. No work, no distractions. A chance to see what was between them. She didn’t want to waste such an opportunity on trying to get information. 

Alex snapped her out of her thoughts. “I’m sorry, what was that? You’re supposed to have drinks with her? When was I going to hear about this?” Alex had raised her eye brows. She suddenly forgot about the case. 

Kara smiled. “We just planned it today. Right before I left to come here. You know I would’ve told you.” 

Alex couldn’t miss the goofy smile on her sister’s face. She smiled to and came to stand beside Kara. “So is this like a date?” She asked it with a slight teasing tone. 

“It’s just drinks, Alex.” Kara didn’t want to get her hopes too far up. 

“Who asked who,” Alex wanted to know. 

“She asked me. Earlier in the day. She wasn’t feeling well today. She was exhausted and her defenses were down.” Kara gestured back at the screen. “She obviously had a late night.” Kara kicked herself and put a hand over her face. “I thought she was hung over this morning.”

“So you think she didn’t mean to ask?”

Kara shook her head. “She wouldn’t have if she didn’t want to. I know that much. But, no, I don’t think she would have asked, whether she wanted to or not, if she’d been feeling better.”

“Why not?” Alex had a way of asking the right questions to get Kara to talk about feelings that she never had any intention of bringing up. 

She shrugged in response. “You know, things have been shifting between us. For a while now.” Kara paused and Alex waited. “I don’t know what’s happening, Alex. But I know that I want more with her.” Kara paused again. Alex waited again. “But she thinks too much. She can talk herself out of her own happiness if she thinks it’s not the best thing for everyone involved. She’s much more noble than people know.”

Alex took her hand with a sympathetic look. “You know what? We’ll look into these guys. Let it go for now. Let’s see what we can turn up. But,” Alex held up a finger for emphasis, “she can’t keep going around doing this. She’s going to get hurt. You need to keep an eye on her.” 

Kara’s thoughts drifted back to the present. She heard the private elevator ding. The doors opened and Cat walked out with her usual pizzazz. She walked with purpose and Kara noticed the faintest smile on her lips. She looked almost like her old self. Almost. 

She walked passed Kara, picking up her latte as usual. Kara followed her into the office, as usual. Cat pulled out her laptop and spread out her files on the desk. Kara thought that she looked rested. She looked good. 

“Ms. Grant,” Kara smiled to her. “You seem happy.” It wasn’t a question, but Cat knew she was asking for the reason.

Cat smiled back. A real smile. “I am,” she started. “Carter wanted to see a movie last night so we spent the whole night out of the house just having fun. It was wonderful. He seemed so happy. Like he was getting back to himself.” Kara watched her sigh in relief. 

She came back around to the front of the desk and sat lightly on the edge. She became serious. “I can’t tell you what it’s been like to watch him walk through this. He cried himself to sleep for weeks after Kari died,” she stopped for a second and shifted her eyes to Kara. “I just want him to be okay.” 

This was how it used to be. Cat telling Kara all about the things she and Carter did together. How he was doing in school. How he was doing socially. Kara knew there was no one else that was privy to the details of Cat’s life like she was. 

“Ms. Grant, that’s great that he had a good time. He deserves to be happy,” Kara said, genuinely happy to hear it. The nervousness she had been feeling earlier began to dissipate. 

Cat nodded. “He really does.” She took a deep breath. “Time to get to work.”

Cat pushed a button on the wall and all the TV screens came to life. World news, entertainment news, national news, political news, and then there was the local news. When they glanced at the local news station, Kara did a double take, hoping Cat didn’t notice. 

There it was on the screen. A still shot of the dark figure from the surveillance video. That was quick, Kara thought. She noticed that Cat didn’t seem fazed. She broached the topic carefully. 

Pointing at the screen, she asked, “Isn’t that Danny's story?”

Cat nodded. “It is,” she responded. “He sent me a draft by end of day yesterday. I edited it myself and sent it to print. Of course, everything we print ends up in the news and on our own stations. And apparently other stations.”

Kara read the caption, ‘Who is the Vigilante?’ Then she said it out loud. “The Vigilante? Is that what they’re calling he-,” Kara stopped herself before Cat could catch it, “whoever this is?”

Cat rolled her eyes and said, irritated and under her breath, “Evidently.” She wasn’t pleased with the label. “Kiera, go down to Printing and get me a copy of the Trib. I want to see the printed article myself.” 

She nodded. “Of course, Ms. Grant.” With that, Kara turned to leave and run the errand. 

Cat called after her. “Kiera.” Kara stopped and turned around, waiting. Cat hesitated for only a second. “Are we still on for drinks tonight? We could just go when were done here.” Cat was smiling. It was a different smile than Kara was used to. It was ever so slightly unsure. 

But Kara tried to reassure her with her own smile. “Absolutely. Though my condition is still in place,” she teased. Cat just nodded. Kara left to head for Printing. 

Cat sat back, conflicted. She felt like she was leading a double life. Two sides of one coin. On one side, there was the Vigilante. Dark and brooding. Driven by a cause that she couldn’t control and unable to be at peace until the final task was accomplished. Then there was just her. Cat Grant. Happy for her son. Giddy and excited about drinks with the woman she secretly adored. 

But she had already decided that after tonight, it would no longer be a secret. She was going to tell Kara how she felt and let the chips fall where they may. Kara was worth the risk. Something had changed between them. Cat wasn’t sure what it was or when it happened. But it was time to address it. 

Part of her was scared to death that she was just being silly and misinterpreting. Another part was sure Kara felt the same way. Still, she felt more nervous about this one conversation than she had about anything in a very, very long time. Her mind had already gone over all the possible scenarios that could happen if Kara rebuffed her. They were awful and embarrassing, ranging from Kara outright quitting and never seeing her again to remaining her assistant and forever silently torturing Cat, because Cat could never really fire her. 

Then her mind wandered to the possible scenarios that could happen if Kara did feel the same way. She got lost in those scenarios. She had fantasized about Kara so many times. Kissing her, holding her, touching her. Their arms and legs tangled together. Feeling Kara’s breath on her neck. Then things like staying up all night talking. Coming into work together. Holding hands at the office. Cleaning the house together. 

Cat hummed to herself. She pushed the thoughts aside. She would know either way in a few short hours. Now, she needed to focus. 

The day went by quickly. Cat spent half of it fielding phone calls and emails regarding how CatCo came into possession of the surveillance footage, what her official stance was on the actions of the Vigilante, and whether she knew who the person was. 

Kara couldn’t remember the last time she had used her super hearing so much in one day. She listened as Cat repeated the same line over and over. “Catco has no official stance on any of the persons in this story, nor do we care to comment. We simply report the facts as they come to us.”

The mayor called, the city manager called, then the Chief of Police called. Cat had refused to take the Chief's call. She told Kara to make up an excuse. 

When people started filtering out of the office, Cat still had a pile of things to edit and proof. Kara came in at half passed six. Cat was looking intently over a layout, scribbling notes on the plastic cover. Kara could see that she was trying to work fast. “Ms. Grant.” Cat’s head shot up as if she were startled. “Sorry,” Kara said apologetically. She didn’t want to make the suggestion, but she felt like it was the polite thing to do. “Maybe we should take a rain check.” 

Cat eye brows knit together and she checked the time and sighed. She looked back to Kara. “No.” Then she quickly added, “Unless you want to.”

Kara just smiled and shook her head. “I don’t want to.” 

Cat smiled back. “Good,” she said. She looked back to the pile. “Um, order up something to eat then come help me with this. Whatever isn’t done by the time we finish eating will have to wait until tomorrow.”

“Okay, sounds good,” Kara responded, quietly. 

They worked and ate for another hour or so. Finally Cat took a napkin and lightly wiped her lips. She looked at Kara, who was diligently rechecking an article she had just gone over. 

“Hey,” Cat said, softly, to get her attention. Kara turned to face her, she brows up, ready to listen. “You ready to get out of here?” Kara’s features softened and she just nodded. They cleaned up and walked to the elevators. Kara stood in front of the public elevators and punched the down button. 

Cat let out the smallest laugh and Kara looked at her, confused. Then Cat took her hand. Kara immediately looked down at their hands and then back up to Cat. It surprised her. Cat just smiled, tilting her head, she said, “Come on,” and pulled Kara toward her private elevator. 

They stepped in and Cat pushed the down button. Then she leaned her back against the wall, still holding Kara’s hand. “There’s a little place just a couple blocks away. It’s small, but it’s nice.”

Kara just nodded, not taking her eyes off Cat. Then she just said, “I like this,” giving their joined hands a squeeze.

Cat just said, “Me too.” 

They exited the elevator and walked the two blocks to the restaurant/bar. Cat was right. It was small and higher end. Not pretentious, but nice. The lighting was dim and the tables were small, making for an intimate setting. Cat asked for a corner table and they were seated quickly. She was a regular. When they sat down at the small, round corner booth, Kara instinctively scooted closer to the other woman. 

Their waiter came quickly and asked what he could get them to drink. Cat answered quickly, “Yes, I’d love a penicillin.” Kara smiled. That was Cat. Old school with a modern twist. 

He turned to Kara, “Um, can I get a martini, perfect, and stirred.” Then Cat smiled. Most people didn’t know the difference between dry, perfect, and wet. She appreciated that Kara did. 

When the waiter walked away, they turned to face one another. Both were wearing small, goofy grins. Cat’s hand was resting on the table and Kara couldn’t help herself. She took Cat’s hand and gently cradled it in her own as if it were the most precious thing. 

Still smiling, Kara breathed out, “What are we doing here, Ms. Grant?”

Also, still smiling, she responded, “Cat,” then she paused and completed her thought, “please, call me Cat.”

Kara just nodded and repeated her question. “What are we doing here,” and hesitating for just second, added, “Cat?”

Cat smiled a little wider and looked away, shyly. Kara was loving this side of the older, more confident woman. “Well,” Cat started, and then meeting her eyes, she continued, “I was hoping we could talk about this.” She glanced down at their hands and gave Kara’s hand a small squeeze. 

The waiter came back with their drinks but their eyes stayed on one another as Cat said a quiet, “Thank you,” to him. 

Kara watched as she took a deep breath and a sip of her drink. Cat’s eyes darted around a bit and then came back to Kara. “Things have been changing between us,” she said slowly. “I know you feel it, too.”

Kara looked at their hands again and then nodded slowly, confirming Cat’s thought. “Kara, I-,” 

“Stop,” Kara said. Her mouth was open but she couldn’t speak. It was like her name on Cat’s lips broke her somehow. Kara wanted to just freeze the conversation right here. Like it was already enough. 

Cat scooted closer. She barely touched the tips of her fingers to Kara’s cheek and Kara involuntarily closed her eyes at the flutter she felt in her stomach at the slight contact. She opened her eyes and looked at Cat. There was so much emotion on her face.

She said her name again, softly. “Kara,” she paused, like she knew the effect it was having, “you have managed to do what I thought was impossible. I’ve spent years building walls of iron, forcing everyone to stay away and cutting down anyone daring to get close.” 

The tone of Cat’s voice was so sure and honest. Her fingers slipped up to Kara’s ear and she lightly ran them down the length of her half way pulled up hair. Then she took Kara’s other hand. “It’s like you found a secret door that I had tucked away and forgotten about.” 

Kara couldn’t believe it. Cat was insanely close to her. She could feel her breath as she talked. Those green eyes pulled her in as Cat said, “Then when it started to rain, you became my serenity in the eye of the storm. You keep me grounded. I need that, Kara. I need you.” 

Kara released one of Cat’s hands and reached up to place it on her jaw, running her thumb over Cat’s cheek. Cat’s eyes were so soft. Kara had never seen this expression. Of all the ones stored away in the database of ‘Cat’s looks' in her mind, this one wasn’t there. It was full of tenderness and kindness and caring. 

Kara was frozen. Cat could tell that trying to process it all was overwhelming for the younger woman. So Cat leaned in. She wanted to show Kara exactly what she meant. She didn’t want Kara to have any reason to rationalize this moment as anything other than what it was. 

It was them. Falling in love. Cat gently pressed her lips to the corner of Kara’s mouth. Kara leaned into her lips, trying to increase the light contact. Then Cat kissed her cheek bone. And then she dipped her head down and kissed a wonderfully sensitive spot on her neck and Kara took a quiet, sharp breath in. 

She pulled back slowly and looked at Kara. Her eyes were closed and her head was still leaning in the direction where Cat’s lips had been. Cat smiled and waited. Two seconds later Kara’s eyes shot open and she righted herself. She saw the smirk on Cat’s face and knew she had been caught fantasizing. She felt a blush creep onto her cheeks and she adjusted her glasses.

Kara just looked at her and took a deep breath, thinking over Cat’s eloquent words. All she could say was, “Sometimes I forget you’re a writer.”

Cat laughed a little, glad the words had held meaning, because she had meant them, and Kara smiled. Kara took the hand she was holding and put her other hand over it, stroking the back of Cat’s smaller hand. She looked up and said, “Cat, you are the most remarkable person I have ever known. There is not one thing about you that I don’t love. Not one thing.” 

Cat shook her head. “You don’t know me as well as you think you do. You would be disappointed.” Kara could hear the insecurity in her voice. 

She reached both hands up and pushed Cat’s hair away from her face, then cupped her jaw with her hands. “I know everything that matters. Despite every time you’ve tried to push me away and every time you’ve gotten my name wrong on purpose, trying to distance yourself from me, I want to be with you. I want to have everything with you.” 

Cat couldn’t help herself. She leaned back in quickly and pressed her lips to Kara’s. She put one hand on Kara’s thigh and grabbed a fistful of her shirt with the other, pulling her closer. Kara opened her mouth to kiss Cat fully. Her lips were impossibly soft. They fit so well together. It was two halves coming together into one whole. 

The kiss was easy. Nothing rushed or passionate. They just needed to feel each other for a moment, and when they came apart, Kara leaned her forehead against Cat’s. She let out an airy laugh and said, “I want to do more of that.” They both laughed and leaned back, looking around to see if anyone had noticed. It was still early in the week and it was getting late. There were only a few other patrons. No one seemed to mind the two ladies in love at the corner booth. 

They stayed there for a long time. Sitting and talking and laughing. They talked about everything from Cat’s days at the Daily Planet to Kara’s time in college and her hopes and dreams of the future. Kara wanted more than anything to tell her about her alter ego. She wanted to tell Cat everything. She somehow felt like she was being dishonest by keeping it from her now. It would make things so much easier. 

They touched each other more and more as the conversation went on. Hands on legs, heads on shoulders, lips on hands. It was wonderful. It was the intimacy they had been longing for. Just the chance to get to know each other better, to touch each other freely and talk about life. 

They were sitting beside each other, thighs touching. Cat had her head on Kara’s shoulder, leaning into her neck and Kara’s arm was around her. Cat was telling her about a time when she scooped Lois Lane on a story when CatCo had just been founded. 

All the sudden, Cat stopped talking. Kara furrowed her brow. “Cat? What is it?” 

Cat slowly picked her head up. She was staring at the TV above the bar. It was tuned to a news broadcast. Kara saw a vaguely familiar face on the screen. But to Cat, the face was incredibly familiar. 

She leaned forward and called out, “Charlie, I’m sorry, but can you turn that up?” The bartender stopped drying glasses and walked over to the TV. 

“Sure, Ms. Grant.” She really was a regular, Kara thought. 

When the TV was turned up, they heard the newscaster saying, “The body of drug lord John Bossey was found earlier today, floating in the bay, close to the warehouse district. The police are looking into his death, which has been ruled a homicide.” 

Kara watched the color drain from Cat’s face. She slowly lifted her fingers to her mouth. She was trying to hold it together. Kara put a hand on her arm. “Cat,” she said again. Kara suddenly recognized him as the man from two nights ago. Her lips parted with the realization. 

Cat looked at her, the shock evident on her face. She couldn’t believe it. She kept thinking that she'd made the call to leave Bossey at large and now someone had murdered him. That certainly had never been her intention. “Kara, I’m so sorry. I have to go. This is an important piece of the story Danny brought. I should get to the office, we need to get this out on our network.”

Kara tried to stop her. “Cat, the network runs itself just fine. I’m sure they’re already running it. Stay here.” Her voice was almost pleading. 

Cat met her eyes and Kara could see the back and forth conflict. She wanted to stay. “I’m sorry, I have to go.” Without allowing Kara another chance to speak, she slipped out of the booth. Walking quickly by the bar, Cat said, “Charlie, can you make me a tab?” 

“Of course, Ms. Grant.” Then she was out the door. Charlie looked to Kara and said, “She’s always working, that one.”

Kara just nodded and whispered under her breath, “Tell me about it.”

She remembered Alex’s words, ‘You need to keep an eye on her.’ 

Kara rushed out of her seat and out the door. She found a discreet spot and, with a woosh of red and blue, she was in her super suit. She was in the air and on her way to CatCo. 

When she flew by, Cat’s office was dark. She scanned it with her x-ray vision. No one was there. Cat lied about going to the office. Kara wasn’t entirely surprised. But where would she go? She turned and shot over the city toward Cat’s neighborhood. 

The longer it took to get there, the more anxious she became. She was afraid of Cat getting into trouble before she could find her. Then she was over Cat’s neighborhood, over her street, then over her house. She got there just in time to see Cat duck into the carriage house behind her home. Kara lightly set down on the roof of Cat’s main house, waiting. 

A few minutes later, she almost didn’t notice the black figure stealing out of the back side of the carriage house. Cat was moving in the shadows. Kara had to use her x-ray vision to keep her in sight. She lifted back into the air and watched Cat from high above. She followed her to the alley a few blocks away where the car was. 

Then she followed the car. She followed it all the way to the warehouse district by the water. Cat parked in the shadows among some ramshackle buildings. Again Kara had to use her x-ray vision to see her. She’s good at this, Kara thought. Cat moved quickly and stealthy along the walls and alleys. She was light and fast and, even with her super hearing, Kara couldn’t hear a sound from her in the air. 

She watched as Cat suddenly stopped. Kara looked around for why. One block over there was a light coming from a building. Outside two cars were parked and a small group of men were talking. Kara came down and landed on top of the building right next to where Cat was hiding in the alley. She listened and took a relieved breath when she heard Cat’s even breathing. 

Kara slipped her comm out of the hidden pocket of her suit and tucked it in her ear. She tapped the button. Alex’s voice immediately came through. 

“Go ahead, Supergirl.” 

“Alex,” she whispered in her quietest voice, “I’m in the warehouse district. I followed Cat down here. There are some men down here talking. I haven’t listened in yet, but I think she’s going to try something.”

At the DEO, Alex waved to two other agents and said, “Gear up,” then to Kara, “We’re coming to you.”

With that, the comm went silent. 

Kara heard Cat shift her position along the wall to get a look at the men. Then she heard a whispered, “Son of a bitch.” She knew Cat recognized someone. 

Kara listened in. One man said, “He was a liability. Once that footage leaked, it was only a matter of time before he was identified. Who knows what he would have told the cops.”

Then another man, “But what about this Vigilante? Should we be worried?”

The first man again, “Of course not. The cops will figure out who it is and make sure they’re out of the way.”

They all mumbled their goodbyes and got into the two cars. Kara heard Cat’s breathing become heavy. As the cars pulled away into the shadows, she ran out after them, careful to stick to the dark. 

Cat ran full out and she was fast. As she moved, she kept her eyes on the license plate of the car. When it passed under a street light, she flashed a mental picture and stopped running. Breathing hard, she shut her eyes and said it out loud, “SGF 982,” she repeated it to get it in her mind, “SGF 982,” and one more time, “SGF 982.” There it was. She opened her eyes. 

As Cat turned to go back, her eyes went wide and she took a deep breath in. Blocking the path back to her car was Supergirl, arms crossed over her chest!

Cat stood up tall and dropped her hands to her sides. She lifted her chin defiantly. 

Supergirl asked her with a firm voice, “What are you doing out here, Ms. Grant?” 

Cat put her hands on her hips and quipped, “Taking out the trash. You?”

“I’m making sure you don’t do something you’ll regret. Now,” she repeated, “what are you doing out here?”

Cat turned back to the street the car had gone down. The tail lights were gone. She turned back to Supergirl. No sense in trying to hide now. Cat reached up and peeled off her mask, tucking it away. She tried to keep her timbre even and cool. “I need to get back to my car.”

Kara took her in, looking her up and down. “You’re not going anywhere, Ms. Grant. I can’t let you risk it. Besides, that car is long gone.”

“I can catch them.”

Kara huffed, sarcastically, “Your moves on that video were pretty good, but how are you going to catch them?”

Ah, Cat thought, Kara had seen the video and recognized her. She would address that later. Cat raised her voice impatiently. “Because I know where they’re going, but I don’t know how much time I have.” Cat was trying to keep her cool. She was so close. If she could just follow them. 

Supergirl just shook her head and uncrossed her arms. Cat recognized the look on her face. It was the look she gave when she wanted to make Cat feel better about something. 

Then something clicked in Cat’s mind. “Wait,” she said, “you knew it was me on the video?”

Kara nodded and confessed. “I saw it last night.” 

Cat’s face became hard. Kara realized she’d given something away to Cat. Then Cat said, “Well, I guess we all have our secrets to keep. Don’t we,” to emphasis her point, she finished with, “Kara.”

Kara’s eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. She was shocked. She knew she shouldn’t be. Cat was the smartest person on the planet. “So what was tonight, Kara,” Cat went on, “Recon. Gathering information on the Vigilante?” 

Kara was stung by the implication. How could she think that? “You know me better than that, Cat. I would never deceive you like that.”

“You’re joking, right,” Cat shot back. “I remember something about Supergirl and Kara Danvers in my office at the same time, apparently not deceiving me.” Cat’s tone was cold. 

Kara dropped her head, suddenly feeling guilty. “That’s fair. But Cat, would you have honestly admitted any of this if I just asked you?” Kara asked, gesturing toward Cat. 

She watched as Cat’s shoulders slumped and she said quietly, “Yes.” She sounded defeated. “To you? Yes.” And Kara knew she was telling the truth. She closed her eyes. Kara was suddenly disappointed in herself. She should have told Cat a long time ago. 

Cat squared her shoulders and set her jaw. “Now, I might still have time. I need you to step aside.”

Kara shook her head. “No. I’m not going to let you do something stupid.”

Cat unclipped her staves and spun them in her hands, gripping them tightly. “Move. Now.”

“Cat, stop. I’m not moving. Tell me why you’re out here.”

Cat was getting angry. “To get justice,” she said, raising her voice. 

Kara shook her head, confused. “Justice for who?”

Still angry, Cat said, “Justice for Kari Warren.”

Kara was even more confused. “Carter,” she hesitated to say his name with Cat this angry, “Carter’s Kari?” She was still confused, but she said, “You need to leave that to the police.”

Cat laughed bitterly. “The police? I gave the police lead after lead and they have done nothing. Do you even know what happened to her?”

Kara shook her head. She could see Cat wasn’t backing down. And she was getting worked up. Kara took a tentative step to her right. Cat immediately noticed it and mirrored the action. They began circling as Cat went on, keeping each other at a safe distance. 

“She was walking home from school and she witnessed a drug deal go down in an alley, near the school. Near Carter’s school.” Cat shook her head, her anger growing. “It was a drop off. In broad daylight. They pulled Kari into the alley and shot her. Once in the chest and once in the head. And they left her there.”

Kara’s heart sank. It was horrible. She couldn’t believe she didn’t know these details, that she hadn’t asked. She should have asked. “Cat, I’m sorry.”

“Carter walked her home over a dozen times. He could have been with her that day. And he could have been lying on the street next to her with a bullet in his head.” Cat took a breath and forced her rage down. Then she said, “And the man that pulled the trigger is in that car.” She pointed the stave down the street where the car had disappeared. “Now let me go.”

The two had continued circling. “No,” Kara responded. “You’re too emotional. You need to step back.” 

They circled carefully until Cat had come around to where Kara had been blocking her path. With the alley at her back, she had access back to her car. She knew it was probably futile to try to out run Supergirl, but she went for it anyway. 

She only made it a few steps when she felt strong arms wrap around her from behind!

Suddenly, Kara felt her powers draining from her. What the hell, she thought. 

Cat jabbed her elbow into Kara's ribs, hard. She heard a muffled cry from Kara. Her grip loosened and Cat slipped out. Then with lightening fast speed, Cat dropped down, extending one leg and spinning it, sweeping Kara’s legs out from under her. 

She fell to the ground with a thud and Cat's stomach sank with the sound of it. She hated doing it. But Cat was on her feet instantly, standing over Kara, staves at the ready. But when Kara looked up at her in shock, she recognized the concerned look on Cat's face. 

Kara shuffled to her feet. Cat sank down in her knees, ready to strike if need be, she held the staves out in front of her. Kara backed off several feet and felt her strength slowly return. 

“Kryptonite, Cat,” Kara breathed out hard. “Where the hell did you get kryptonite?” She was completely taken aback. 

“Like I said,” Cat's voice was low, “we all have our secrets.” Cat held up her hand and tapped the thick, metal cuff bracelet on her wrist with her stave. “Hollow. Broken down and concentrated kryptonite inside. I was afraid Supergirl might try to intervene at some point. It was a precaution.” She paused. “Now let me go.” Cat spun the staves in her hands again, one time. 

“I can't. I swore a long time ago that I would keep you safe, and I will. Even if it's from yourself.” 

With that, Kara charged back in. She would have to rely strictly on her fighting skills. She lunged at Cat, intending to take her down, but Cat leaned to the side quickly and Kara went slightly passed her. It was enough space for Cat to bring one stave down on her back. 

Kara stood up straight and turned toward Cat, fists flying. She was fast, but with the kryptonite, Cat was faster. Cat intercepted every blow with a stave, bruising Kara’s knuckles. Then she spun around and landed a flying back kick right in Kara's chest, sending her to the ground, coughing. 

“Stay down,” Cat said. Kara obeyed for a moment, needing to breath. Cat had lowered her staves to her side and loosened her grip. Kara watched her. The dim, orange glow of one of the street lights illuminated her. The collar of her leather jacket was zipped all the way up to her neck, diagonally. Her hair was disheveled. There was sweat on her forehead, but she was barely breathing hard. She was gorgeous. 

Kara slowly got back to her feet and Cat shook her head, resetting, staves up. “Kara, I don't want to do this with you. Please.” 

But Kara just lifted her fists. Cat flicked her wrists, extending the staves, then in one smooth motion, attached them together. The staff was almost as long as she was tall, but she manipulated it with ease. She twirled it to come around her head and she held it, pointed at Kara. 

Kara took one step. That was all she had time for. Cat turned into a black tornado, spinning the staff at every angle. Kara tried to back up. Cat came on Kara quickly and twirled the staff into Kara's shoulder, she brought it back around like lightening, down on Kara's hip, then she slammed it into her shin and Kara cried out. It took two seconds. She was still standing but she was holding her side and couldn't put weight on the leg that Cat had slammed. She did her best to stand tall and reset.

“I might still have time,” Cat said. “Let me go.”

“What are you going to do when you find them?”

“Surveillance. I still need more proof.”

Kara coughed. Wait. She closed her eyes, “You mean, you were just going to follow them?”

Cat just nodded and pulled a small video camera from her belt. Kara shook her head. All the sudden she felt stupid. What had she thought Cat would do?

“I’m not an idiot,” Cat said, dryly. “I wasn’t going to fight five men with guns. Not yet anyway,” she shrugged. “I need more practice.” 

They looked at each other. The pace slowed down. “Cat-,” Kara began, but Cat cut her off. 

“Please tell me that earlier tonight wasn’t about this,” Cat said, holding out her hands, indicating herself. 

Kara shook her head, her body still hurting. “It wasn’t. That was about us.” Cat just nodded. Kara glanced away and rolled her eyes, then her voice became stern again. “Cat, you need to go. Now.”

Just then a large, black SUV pulled up into the space. Cat make a quick move to place herself between Supergirl and the SUV. She raised her staff, ready to defend them both. 

Alex and the two agents got out of the car. Cat couldn’t see because of the headlights, but she heard a woman say, “Drop your weapon or we'll drop you.”

“They’re with me,” Kara said apologetically, from behind her.

Cat turned and looked at Kara, raised one eye brow, and lifted one side of her mouth. Then as fast as she could, she bolted for the alley behind her. 

“Damn it,” Alex said. “You two, go after her.” Alex ran to Kara’s side. She looked her over and saw her injured stance. “What happened?”

Kara grimaced. “She has kryptonite somehow.”

They heard the two other agents scuffling in the alley. Alex ran in their direction, gun drawn. When she reached the alley, she found them both on the ground, groaning. No sign of the Vigilante. 

She called out to Kara, “Can you see her?”

Kara’s strength was returning and she scanned the area with her x-ray vision. “No. Nothing.” 

Alex helped the other men up and they all walked back to the car. Kara said to Alex, “I think I’ll ride back with you.”

“She did a number on you, huh?” Alex asked, concerned. 

“I’ll be fine,” Kara shot back, firmly. 

After they got back in the car, Kara looked back to the alley. Her x-ray vision caught Cat’s form slipping out of her hiding spot on the roof, looking after the SUV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: next up, we find out where Cat learned to fight among other things. Also, we understand her motives more fully.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat and Kara try to work things out. 
> 
> Cat finally reveals who trained her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit, it took me some time to get into this story. But now that I've outlined the remainer of the story, I'm sooo into it! It's about to get good!!

Kara slowly opened her eyes. She was laying in the sun bed at the DEO. After taking a deep breath, she flexed her muscles. No soreness, no pain. The artificial UV rays had done their job. She lifted the top of the bed and slowly sat up. 

She rubbed her hand over the spot on her shin that had left her limping. It felt better. Then she gently pressed her side. She took a breath in. It was still slightly tender, but nothing that wouldn’t heal in next few hours. 

Kara sighed and closed her eyes. She felt drained. And she felt guilty. And confused. Her mind went back over her conversation with Cat. The one where Cat had beat her up, emotionally and physically. Kara was beginning to understand Cat’s motives for becoming the Vigilante, though she still had a lot of questions. More than anything, she wanted to help her. If Cat would trust her, that is. Kara realized that she had given Cat plenty of reasons not to trust her. 

Then her mind went back over their other conversation. The one earlier that night. She lifted her fingers to her lips, remembering the feeling of kissing Cat. It had been the best few hours she could remember. She had seen a completely new side of the other woman. She had been relaxed, sweet, and a little shy. Kara had loved it. She knew Cat was affectionate, but it had been the first time she had had that affection showered on her. She wanted more. She had to fix this. 

Kara stood up from the sun bed and exited the room. She walked down the hall toward the bullpen. She scanned the area and found Alex. She had changed clothes and was sipping on a cup of coffee, looking intently at information on a tablet. 

Alex looked up and nodded to Kara. “Hey, you feeling better?”

Kara just nodded. “What time is it?”

“Early,” Alex responded, taking another sip of her coffee. “I was going to wake you before you needed to be at work.” Alex paused and added, “If you’re going to work, that is.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “Of course, I’m going to work.” She sighed. “I need to fix things with Cat. If she’ll let me.”

Alex was surprised. “You need to fix things? She’s the one that assaulted you.”

“She had her reasons. And I was in her way.”

Kara always gave Cat the benefit of doubt. Alex had been watching her do it since Kara first went to work for Cat. The older woman could do no wrong, as far as Kara was concerned. Alex just sighed. She loved her sister. And her sister obviously loved Cat. So she would give her the benefit of the doubt as well. 

“What reasons,” Alex wanted to know. 

Kara became serious. “She recognized someone at the warehouse last night. She said she knew where they were going. She was going to follow them and record them.” 

“And when you got in her way, she was trying to get away to trail them,” Alex confirmed and Kara nodded. 

“You don’t know who she recognized?” Kara shook her head. Alex sighed. “Okay, well, here’s what we know.” She tapped the screen of the tablet, casting it to one of the larger screens. It showed a connection chart of faces and facts related to each face. Kara realized that Alex had been trying to piece together the entire drug world of National City. But she didn’t have a lot to go on. 

“This is John Bossey, the man that was murdered last night.” Alex pointed to one of the faces. Kara nodded, remembering him. “We know he’s high up in this operation. Cat wrote his name on all notes that she left with all three of the men she turned in.” Alex pointed to three pictures of the men Cat had ready caught. “Here are the other names she put in the note.” She pointed to four other pictures. 

Kara jumped in. “So we know that Bossey was over at least three people that were making drops around the city. So if these four are in the same position he’s in, that’s at least twelve people making large drops.”

Alex nodded. “And, realistically, it’s more than twelve. And these four are only the ones Cat knows about.” Alex paused. “Did you know that illegal drug activity has increased by almost fifty percent in National City in the last six months?”

Kara’s eyes brows went up. It was an astronomical number for such a short period of time. Alex continued, “That includes arrests, the amount of drugs seized, money exchanged. And a lot of it is happening with teenagers and around schools.”

Kara shook her head. “Carter Grant's girlfriend was killed near their school. She witnessed one of these drops and they shot her.”

Alex lowered her eyes and took a deep breath. “No wonder Cat feels so compelled to take these guys down. And she’s right. The police haven’t moved on any of these men.” She pointed back to the screen. “And this is only a small part of this operation.” 

“So what do we do?” Kara asked Alex, shrugging her shoulders. 

Alex looked at her. She talked slowly. “When the amount of drugs being trafficked is this big, and the source is unclear, the federal government can get involved.”

Kara’s mouth opened slowly. She felt a surge of hope. “You mean the DEO?” Alex gave a small nod. “That’s not really what we do here, Alex.”

“I know. But this is serious. And the fact that the police aren’t working it is suspicious. Hank already gave his permission.” She paused. “And Cat’s help would be very beneficial. No one knows this case like her.”

Kara didn’t know what to say. “Alex, you would take this on for me?”

Alex’s expression changed to compassion. “Of course.” But then she said, “But you need to get Cat to work with us.”

Kara just nodded. That might be a task in itself. She had no idea what Cat’s state of mind was after the night before. But she knew one thing. She was desperate to see her. Then she remembered the time. 

“Oh! I have to go to work. I can’t be late today.” She hugged Alex and ran out the door. She was in the air and on her way to CatCo. 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As she rode up in the elevator, Kara kept considering how she would approach Cat. She rehearsed several different beginnings in her head. When the elevator stopped to indicate she had reached her floor, Kara stood up taller and walked out. 

As she stepped over the elevator threshold, she heard the private elevator ding and Cat quickly walked out. Their eyes immediately caught each other. They stopped in their tracks, staring. Cat was wearing her sunglasses and Kara was wearing her lead lined glasses. She wished she could see Cat’s eyes behind the sunglasses. 

Then Cat slowly slipped them off. Her face was unreadable. But Kara noticed as Cat’s eyes swept up and down Kara’s body and Kara knew she was making sure she was alright. 

“I’m okay,” Kara whispered, passing Cat’s latte between them. Cat hesitated and then took the cup. When their fingers touched, they lingered, eyes still on one another. Kara’s eyes showed concern, Cat’s were passive. Kara said to her, “I know you well enough to know that you’re trying to look like you don’t care.” Cat just blinked and turned away, walking toward her office. 

Kara took a deep breath. This could be a long day. Or not. She had broken through Cat’s defenses before. She followed Cat and went to her own desk. She glanced to the office, where Cat had gotten straight to work. But she was sipping on her latte. At least she didn’t just throw it in the trash. Small victory, Kara thought. 

The morning wore on and Cat hadn’t asked for Kara one time. She knew she needed to give her space. But as the hours went by, the need to talk to her increased. 

Just as Kara was about to stand to go knock on the office door, Cat came walking out. “I’m going to lunch early. Make my two o'clock a one o’clock and I need the mock ups and layouts for next month on my desk when I get back.” With that, she was gone. Kara was left standing there with her mouth open, having missed her opportunity to talk. 

She sat back down and made the call to change the meeting. She walked from office to office, collecting the things Cat asked for. Then she came back and set them on the desk. She sighed and looked around the office like she was trying to will Cat to come back early. She looked at her watch. Cat had only left twenty minutes ago. She went back to her desk to wait. Her anxiety was growing.

Cat’s now one o'clock came off the elevator before Cat came back. Kara sighed internally. Now she would have to wait until after this meeting. She showed the two people in and attended to them. When Cat came back, Kara opened her mouth to tell her that her meeting was here, but Cat cut her off before she could talk with a simple, “I see them.” Again, she was left with her mouth open. Space, Kara thought, patiently. 

The meeting was fairly short. When they were finished, Cat walked them to door and shook each hand. She turned to go back into her office without a look in Kara’s direction. 

Kara couldn’t take it anymore. She got up and walked around her desk. She didn’t bother to knock. She was in the office before Cat got back to her desk. 

“Ms. Grant,” she called. Cat just stopped, not turning around. Kara watched as her shoulders visibly sagged. She dropped her head and leaned her hands on the edge of the desk. Kara tested the waters. She softened her voice and said, “Cat. Talk to me. Please.”

Cat slowly turned. Her eyes were still down and her arms were crossed like she was trying to protect herself. When she lifted her eyes to look at Kara, she just said, “I don’t know what to say to you.”

Kara just stood there, silently, as the seconds ticked by. Finally she said, “I guess I don’t either.” At that, Cat relaxed a little, uncrossing her arms. 

Cat’s features changed and Kara saw that wonderful softer side come out. Cat looked her up and down again, as she had that morning. “I’m sorry if I hurt you. I never wanted that to happen.” Kara could hear the regret in her voice. She looked deeply apologetic. 

“Cat, I’m okay,” then Kara dropped her voice to a quiet whisper and leaned forward, saying “Kryptonian, remember.” Then she gave Cat a small smile. Cat didn’t return the smile, but she took a breath and Kara recognized it as relief. 

Cat asked her, “What do we do now? Where do we go from here?” Her eyes seemed pleading, but Kara didn’t know what for. 

So she asked Cat, “You and me, or the Vigilante and Supergirl?” 

Cat didn’t answer. Neither did Kara. They just stood there on opposite sides of the office, staring at each other. They both had so much they wanted to say. The words were on the tips of their tongues. 

Finally Kara asked, “Do you trust me?”

Cat answered quickly and quietly, “Yes,” she said. Then, “No.” She closed her eyes, frustrated, then opened them again. “I want to, more than anything.” 

Kara hesitated for only second before quickly spilling out, “I work with a government organization called the DEO. Their purpose is to monitor and identify alien threats. My sister is a leading agent there. She has been trying to connect all the dots of your drug operation. But it’s a kind of a lot.” Kara paused to take a breath. “She and her boss have decided that this case is big enough to warrant federal intervention.” She paused again. “And she could really use your help.”

Cat knitted her brows together and took it in. She opened her mouth to speak. She needed to make sure she understood before letting herself feel any hope. She spoke slowly, “Are you saying that the DEO would take the entire case out of the hands of the local police department? And they wouldn’t have to answer to them? They would have complete jurisdiction?”

Kara nodded. “Yes. But there are too many blanks for us to fill in on our own. Will you help?”

Cat sat back against the edge of the desk. She took a deep breath. She almost couldn’t believe it. After all these months of work, after every lead she had provided that had been tossed out, after all the sleepless nights, all the practice, all the training, all the sneaking around. Finally, someone was going to help. She wasn’t in this alone. 

She was so relieved she started to tremble. Kara stepped closer to her, seeing she was trying to hold in her emotions. “Cat, you can trust me. We will help you. And we will bring these guys down. Every single one.” She reached out to take Cat’s hand and was surprised when Cat pulled away. 

Without looking at her, Cat said, “I need some air,” and headed for the balcony door. 

Kara closed her eyes for a moment, afraid that Cat was pulling away again. All the walls that Kara had worked so hard to get through were being re-erected. She knew if she gave Cat any more space she ran the risk of allowing the distance to get too great. 

She went out to the balcony after her. Cat was leaning against the railing with her eyes closed. Kara said, “Cat, let me-,” but Cat cut her off with a question. 

With her eyes still closed Cat asked, “Why didn’t you want me to know you were Supergirl?” She opened her eyes and turned to face her. “I asked you and you lied. And then I asked you again and you not only lied, you tried to trick me.” She wasn’t angry. But her tone was discouraged. 

Kara just stepped closer. “A lot of reasons.” There’s was no point in avoiding it any more. She might as well lay it out. “First of all, it isn’t safe for the people who know I’m Supergirl. If any of my enemies know who I care about, they can use those people against me. Second, I’ve, um,” Kara was insecure about this one. She was afraid Cat wouldn’t understand. “I’ve wanted to have something more with you for a long time, and if you knew that I was Supergirl, then maybe, if you ever did want to be with me, that would be the reason instead of being with me for me. 

Cat just looked at her. Kara could see the all emotions playing across her face. Sympathy, apology, affection, insecurity, understanding, conflict, and maybe something else. Kara didn’t want to presume. 

So she went on, “Third-,”

“Third?” Cat interrupted like the first two were enough. 

“Yes, third,” Kara continued with a pointed look. “I was afraid you would want to use me as a source. I hate the idea of our relationship being like that. You asking me some sort of exposè questions and printing details about me that I would only tell you because it’s you. I don’t want personal things between us to be public.” Cat was stung, but let her finish.

“Fourth, you said you would fire me if I were Supergirl, and I need this place. I need you. I need to be near you.”

Finally, Kara took a deep breath and released it. She felt as if a weight had left her. Being able to confess to Cat her insecurities was surprisingly liberating. And she wanted Cat to know, she wanted her to understand the conflict she had been dealing with all this time. Wanting to tell Cat, but being afraid. 

Cat was still watching Kara. Then she asked, a little sarcastic, “Is it my turn?” Kara just lifted an open hand in her direction, indicating that she had the floor. 

Cat put one hand on her hip. “First,” she began, “I appreciate that you want to protect me, and I understand that you need to keep the circle of people who know your identity small. But know that I always would have been much more of an asset than a liability.” Kara just dipped her head and nodded. 

“Second,” Cat sighed before continuing, “I’ve known your coffee order since before you were Supergirl. I’ve known about your integrity and your work ethic since long before you were Supergirl. I’ve known about your compassion since before you were Supergirl. You’ve been Supergirl for a fraction of the time I’ve known you.” Cat paused. She dropped the hand from her hip and walked a few slow steps in Kara’s direction. 

“I’ll admit,” she said, “that when I stepped out of that car for our first interview and knew that it was you, that was when I starting falling for you.” She saw the sad look that crossed over Kara’s face. “But,” she said, lifting her eye brows, wanting to reassure the younger woman, “I fell for you because the ground work had already been laid. I knew every good about you, about Kara Danvers, already. And I remember thinking to myself, ‘Of course, it’s her. Who else could it be?’” 

Kara felt hope stirring. A few more steps and she was in front of Kara. “But that suit, that cape blowing in the wind, that hair. There you were, hovering just a few feet away, and I almost swooned. You were so beautiful. It was the final push. How could I not fall for you?” Cat’s face softened at the memory. “Kara, I would have fallen for you no matter what. Supergirl or no Supergirl.”

Tears formed in Kara’s eyes. She tried not to let them fall, but one rogue drop fell over her eye lid. Cat quickly reached up and wiped it away with her thumb and Kara whispered, “Really?” She wasn’t sure she believed Cat. Which, she was beginning to realize was her whole problem. 

Cat made a barely perceptible nod. “Really. Knowing you were Supergirl just sped things along.” Cat dropped her hand from Kara’s face. 

She went on, “Third-,”

“Third?” Kara teased her, with a faint smile. 

Cat returned the small smile. “Yes, third,” she teased back, copying Kara’s words from a few moments ago. “I would never have used you as a source, unless I asked you explicitly. And nothing that was meant to stay between just us would have ever been news. Do you understand? Because this is important. Kara, you can trust me. I don’t have a lot of real relationships. And the ones I do have, I treasure.” Kara just nodded, feeling better and silly at the same time. She’d watched Cat take the high road time and again. How could she not believe that wouldn’t have applied to her, too. 

Kara responded, quietly, “I guess I thought there was just no way I could be one of those people.” 

Cat countered, “If I had been kinder to you, maybe you would have. I was scared too. I did everything I could to keep you at an arm’s length. But I just can’t do it anymore. I can’t see you every day and not have more.”

Cat finally finished, “And fourth, yes, months ago I probably would have fired you. But now, I can’t. Something happened at some point and I started to need you, too. And if you’re not here with me at CatCo, I don’t think I’d want to be here anymore.”

They stood there for a minute, processing each other’s words. Kara wanted to touch her. She wanted to reach out and wrap Cat in her arms and just hold her. It must have showed in her eyes because Cat stepped back and put some distance between them. 

So Kara asked, “Can we talk about last night?”

Cat gave a hesitant nod with a cautious look. Kara just said, “Last night was the best and worst night I’ve had in a long time.”

Cat smiled and said, “Me too.” Then she raised one eye brow. “You should have let me go.”

Kara caught a teasing tone and immediately responded, “Yes, I totally should have let you go. My cracked rib is probably going to be tender for a few more hours.”

Cat furrowed her brow with a guilty look. “Cracked rib?”

Kara nodded. “Yep. You have tiny little, sharp elbows. And your giant pole thing,” she stretched her hands wide, trying to indicate the length of the pole, “bruised my shin.”

Cat winced. “Kara, I’m so sorry.” She closed the distance between them again. She wanted to reach out, but she was still hesitant. 

Kara shrugged. “Like I said, I’m okay.” Kara sighed. “Cat, I was serious earlier. The DEO wants to help. Will you let us? Will you let me help?” 

Cat watched her for a moment. Finally she said, “Come to my house tonight. Late. Carter can’t know anything about what I’m doing.”

Kara nodded, “I’ll be there.”

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kara did as Cat asked and came late, and she came as Supergirl. She scanned the house with her x-ray vision from above. Carter was sleeping soundly. She found Cat sitting on her back porch. She touched down lightly several feet away from Cat. 

Cat had a drink in her hand, but she wasn’t drinking it. She was just swirling the liquid around in the glass. Her eyes looked far away. She barely looked up when she saw Supergirl. She breathed in a deep breath. 

“Have a seat,” she indicated the chair next to her. Kara walked over and quietly sat down. And they sat. Cat and Kara could always go long stretches without the need to say anything. They simply enjoyed being in the same space together. 

Cat’s arm was resting on the arm of the chair. After some time, she slowly extended it toward Kara, offering her hand. And Kara slowly took it. Though Cat’s face still looked lost in thought, Kara knew that this was a peace offering. Kara just looked at their joined hands, lightly touching, both too tentative to take the contact any deeper. 

The storm front was still over the city. It began to rain again. Kara was getting so tired of the rain. She longed to see the sun. The thought made her turn toward Cat, whose eyes had refocused and were watching the rain come down. For now, watching this woman that she adores would work as a perfect substitute for any rays the sun could offer. 

Finally, Cat took a breath and released Kara’s hand. She stood up. Kara followed suit and stood. They faced each other. Cat spoke so quietly that Kara almost had to use her super hearing to listen over the sound of the rain. “Come with me.”

Always, Kara thought. She followed Cat into the house. They walked through a small breakfast nook and passed the kitchen. Cat led her down a short hallway to a door. Kara looked at it and noticed it was a new door. It was made of metal. Not too conspicuous, it still blended in with the environment around it. There was a keypad next to the door. Cat punched in a number and held the tips of all five fingers on one hand up to the pad. 

Kara heard thelocks detach on the door. Her curiosity was taking over. What in the world was Cat hiding? She opened the door, revealing a narrow staircase. 

“That’s quite a bit of security for the basement,” Kara commented. 

She heard Cat breath out the smallest laugh. “You’ll see why.”

She closed the door and flipped a switch, illuminating the steps. When they reached the bottom, Kara could sense that they were in a large space. She saw the tiny blinking lights of computers in a couple different spots. Cat flipped three other switches at the bottom of the steps. 

Kara’s eye brows popped up as three sets of lights went on, each one farther down long the ceiling, casting light the full length of the enormous basement. It was obviously the full size of Cat’s large property. There were support columns in strategic places. The floor was smooth, stained concrete and the ceiling were high. 

Kara just whispered, “Whoa.” Cat watched her as she took it in. Kara walked around slowly. There was a large set of servers on the left wall from the staircase. It appeared they were working on something. There was another large work table area in the center with more computers and a few techno gadgets that Kara didn’t recognize. 

Toward the back wall was a large training area that even Alex would admire. There was a padded floor for sparring, a few different types of sparring dummies, targets, heavy bags, etcetera. On the right wall toward the training area was a big standing case with different types of weapons. There was a set of nunchucks, a few katanas of different lengths, a chakram, and two more sets of the staves Cat used, among other things. No guns, Kara noticed. There was much smaller case sitting on top. Kara reached a hand toward it. 

“Stop!” Cat put a hand up and Kara instantly froze. “That case is lead lined. More of my bracelets are in there.” Kara slowly pulled her hand away, not wanting to experience Kryptonite again any time soon.

She asked Cat, a little in shock, “So is this like your lair?” 

Cat offered a little smile at that and shrugged. “I guess you could call it that.”

Kara’s curious nature came out in the form of questions. “How long have you been doing this? What are all these servers doing?” She looked back to the training area. “And who in the world taught you to fight?”

Cat walked toward the work area in the center of the room. She set down her drink. She focused on one of the screens as she answered. “Just over four months. They are running algorithms, and I’m about to introduce you to him.” 

Kara recognized the sound of an internet video conference program that Cat used at work. While the program dialed in, Cat went over to an enormous screen near the servers. She tapped a button and the screen lite up. 

“Whoa,” Kara said again. The screen displayed a connection chart that would put Alex’s to complete shame. There were about a hundred faces. Most had names, some didn’t. A few had red ‘x's' over them. There were lines connecting them all together from one angle or a other. And they all had a section of notes under each name. Some notes were longer than others. 

The conference call picked up and Kara heard a man’s deep voice. “Cat?” Cat walked back over and Kara noticed the genuine smile on her face. She pushed down a pang of jealousy. 

“Bruce,” she said lightly as she walked in front of the camera attached to large screen that displayed the man’s face. 

Wait, Kara thought. Not Bruce-.

Cat interrupted her train of thought. “I want you to meet a friend of mine.” She motioned for Kara to come closer. She did, very slowly, almost not daring to look at the face on the screen. She stepped into the shot and looked at the screen. There he was. “Bruce Wayne, Kara Danvers.” 

Kara couldn’t shake the shocked look from her face. Bruce Wayne. Bruce gave her a wide smile. “Well, well,” he said in that smooth voice. “The Girl of Steel,” He paused. “Kara Zor-El, it is an honor.” His face became serious. He meant it. 

“You’re Bruce Wayne,” was all Kara could say. Then she reverently whispered, “Batman.”

“Careful, Kara,” Cat chimed in, “You never know who might be around on these calls.”

Kara looked at her and nodded, turning back to the screen. “How’s my cousin?” It was the first thing she thought to ask. She had only spoken to Kal-El briefly after his return. 

Bruce smiled again. “He’s recovering well. We have come to… an understanding. I’m glad he’s back with us.”

Kara nodded again. She glanced away as Cat busied herself studying the information the algorithm had secured. She tried to refocus on the task at hand. “So you’ve been helping Cat? Why?”

“Absolutely. Cat is a old friend. And one of my best. She’s done a lot of favors for me over the years. It was time for me to do one for her.”

Kara pointed to the screen and looked back to Cat. “You’re besties with Batman? Are you kidding me? I mean, other than Superman, of course, he’s the greatest hero ever.”

Cat smiled, though her back was to Kara. 

“Wait a minute, Supergirl. Not everyone has called me a hero. In fact, a lot of people in Gotham still think of me as a dangerous vigilante.” He paused. “Speaking of which. Oh, Cat? Could you come here?”

Cat rolled her eyes and turned to walk back to the screen. She knew what was coming. Bruce was holding up a copy of the Tribune, the shot of the Vigilante gracing the front page. 

Bruce tapped it and said sarcastically, “I thought we were going for minimal exposure.”

Cat sighed. “I went over that entire area a dozen times. That camera was installed, literally, hours before this was taken.” 

Then Bruce sighed. He let it go. “What’s happened since the last time we talked?”

Cat dropped her head. She put her hands on her hips. When she looked back up, she looked away. “John Bossey is dead.”

“I heard,” Bruce said. “Cat, you need to understand that that wasn’t your fault.” He said it slowly, trying to emphasis his point. Kara nodded her agreement. “They would have gotten to him in lockup or in prison. It wouldn’t have mattered what decision you made.” 

Cat just looked back up and nodded. “I found something that might finally make our connection to Rudy Jones.” Cat walked up to the computer to cast something to Bruce.

“Wait,” Kara said. “Chief Rudy Jones?” 

Cat didn’t bother to confirm. She just said to Bruce, “One of the algorithms finally captured satellite footage of Kari's murder. But it’s strange.” 

“What do you mean, strange,” Bruce asked. 

“Just watch.” Cat played the video. Bruce and Kara both watched intently. They saw three men in the alleyway. The quality of the feed was clear. Really clear. Within a few seconds, a young girl walked passed the alley and stopped. It looked like one man was talking to her as he walked up to her. She tried to back away, but he grabbed her and pulled her into the alley. Then he dropped her body on the ground. She was completely limp. He stood there for a moment. Then he took out his gun and shot her, once in the chest, and once in the head. 

Kara had to look away for a moment. “I don’t understand,” Bruce said.

“Me either,” Kara echoed. 

“Watch when I zoom in,” Cat said, tapping at the keyboard. The image zoomed into Kari’s face as the man first dropped her body. Her eyes were open and lifeless. She wasn’t unconscious. She was dead. 

Bruce immediately said, “Why shoot her if she’s already dead?”

“Right,” Cat confirmed. “Now look at this.” Cat zoomed in again as the man aimed his gun. She paused the image and zoomed in again on his hand, which was angled up. There was a distinctive ring on one finger. 

Cat clicked away on the mouse and opened several images of a man’s hand with the same ring. 

“Jones?” Bruce asked. 

“Jones,” Cat confirmed. 

Bruce sat back and sighed. “Good work, Cat.” 

Cat quickly asked him, “What do I do now?” 

Kara said, “The DEO can pick him up?”

Cat's head shot toward Kara. She and Bruce both snapped at the same time. “No!”

Kara’s eyes went wide and she held up her hands with a quiet, “Okay.” She was beginning to realize that she had injected herself into a carefully laid out plan that was already deep in motion. 

Bruce snapped again, a little irritated. “The DEO, Cat? Have you brought them in on this?”

“Not yet.” Cat responded. 

Kara looked at her, confused. “Wait, do you know about the DEO?” Cat just looked at her and nodded. 

“Department of Extranormal Operations, yes.”

“Why didn’t you say so,” Kara wanted to know. 

“Because,” Cat's voice grew more firm, looking at Kara. The frustration in her voice was evident. “I don’t know that I can trust you with this.” She indicated the large connection chart. “You say that you love this city, but these people have been slowly destroying it from the inside out. Someone finally tries to stand up and stop them and the police won’t move. And then you take it upon yourself to try to stop me, even though you have no idea what’s going on.” 

Kara couldn’t find the words to respond. So Cat went on, “You don’t trust me with anything. You didn’t trust me with your identity. You didn’t trust me enough to come to me about mine. You just got in my way, always thinking you know what’s best.” Cat’s eyes were wide with anger. 

There it was. The thing that was between them. Kara still couldn’t speak. Cat was right. All this time, she thought that Cat was trying to manipulate or deceive her when she was the one that had been doing the deceiving. Of the two of them, she realized, Cat has proven herself the more trustworthy. The fact that she was standing here in this room was confirmation enough of that. 

Cat huffed and turned away from Kara, walking back over the chart. Bruce spoke up. “Okay, there’s obviously some tension between you two, but we need to stay focused.” He looked back to Kara. “Kara this is a massive operation. If we take it from the top down, we risk another head rising up. If we take it from the bottom up, we leave them no options and the operation is destroyed.” Kara nodded. It made sense. “We keep gathering intel and moving on the lower levels guys and up the chain. As we move up, the guys at the top become more vulnerable.” 

Then he finished with, “That’s what Cat’s been doing. She’s sticking to the plan and it’s working. Now Cat,” she slowly walked back over to the camera with her arms crossed. “You can choose to trust the DEO or not. But as soon as you bring other people in, the less control you have over what’s happening.”

Cat turned the slightest glance toward Kara. She looked back at the screen. She was thinking. Then she sighed. “Bruce, I’ve always told you that you need a good team around you to be truly successful. You can only ever do so much on your own. Maybe losing a little control is a good thing. I trust Kara. And I can’t keep up with this on my own anymore. It’s getting too big.”

Bruce said, “Cat, I told you I would come back in any time you needed me. Your training is finished, but I can help you in the field.”

Cat shook her head and gave him a smile. “I already have a superhero, Bruce. But I still need you.”

He just nodded. Cat’s mind was made up. “I’ll be here.”

“Thank you,” Cat replied, “and tell Lucius his algorithms are working.” They said their goodbyes and she and Kara were left alone. 

Kara immediately wanted to address Cat’s words from earlier. “Cat, I’m sorry. I never looked at things from your point of view. You’re right. I haven’t trusted you. And the longer I’ve let it drag on, the more distance I’ve put between us.”

Cat finally looked at her, really looked at her. Kara recognized those soft eyes. Then Cat nodded and began walking back toward the stairs. She flipped the lights off and Kara gathered their time here was done. She followed Cat out and back into the house. 

Cat sealed the door and led them into the living room. Kara could see that she was exhausted. Cat collapsed onto the sofa. Kara remained standing, not wanting to push. Then Kara smiled and said, “Batman taught you to fight?”

Then Cat smiled. “Bruce is a good friend. And he speaks very highly of your cousin. I know they had their differences.” 

Kara turned to look out the window. “They certainly did. But they were able to make amends. I know we can too.” She turned to look back at Cat. “If we can just be open-,” she stopped. She breathed in and smiled fully at the sight before her. 

Cat had fallen fast asleep somewhere in the last ten seconds. Her head was laying against the back of the sofa. Her arms were relaxed. A lock of hair had fallen across her cheek. She was beautiful. 

Kara slowly stepped up. Leaning forward, she pushed the hair from Cat’s face and watched her for just a moment. Then, she gently slipped her arms under Cat’s legs and around her back. She slowly picked her up and cradled the small woman in her arms. Cat unconsciously reached a hand up to Kara’s neck and leaned her head on her shoulder. 

Kara took her upstairs and into her bedroom. She carefully pulled back the blankets on the bed and laid Cat down. She pulled off her shoes and set them on the floor. Then she pulled the blankets up to Cat’s waist. She knelt down on her knees, stealing a moment just to watch her. 

When she stood back up, she leaned over and placed the softest kiss on Cat’s temple. Then she stood up to leave. As she turned toward the door, Cat gently caught her wrist. With her eyes still closed and a sleep filled voice, she said, “Stay with me.”

Kara turned back. She took the hand Cat had wrapped around her wrist. Bending her knees again, she kissed her hand. “Okay,” she whispered and set her hand back down on the mattress. Kara stood and walked around to the other side of the bed. She sat down and took off her boots. Then she released her cape from where it was secured inside her suit. 

She looked around and saw Cat’s thin robe hanging from a hanger in the bathroom. She took off her suit and retrieved the robe, slipping it on. Her senses over overwhelmed with Cat’s scent. Her soap, her perfume, her shampoo. After breathing it in for a moment, she walked back to the bed and pulled the blankets back, slipping between them. 

She wasn’t sure what the boundary lines were, but she had been fighting the urge to touch Cat all day. Her heart was pounding. She scooted up to Cat and lightly pressed herself into Cat’s back. When she felt Cat nestle into her, she relaxed and put an arm around her tiny waist. Cat gently laid her hand over Kara’s arm. Kara dared to pull her a little tighter. She heard Cat release a deep breath and felt her muscles relax. Then Kara relaxed, closing her eyes. Her nose was in Cat’s hair. There was that scent again. 

Kara lay there, next to Cat, holding her, thinking of what a whirlwind the last twenty-four hours had been. Now here they were, falling asleep next to each other. Kara had never been so content in all her life.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat and Kara are able to grow closer. 
> 
> Cat finally gets help with the Vigilante's crusade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably going to start taking a few extra days to update this. I have these Fluff ball one shots that I can't get out of my head!

Kara woke slowly. She took a breath in and out as she stirred. She inhaled a familiar scent. Then she felt fingers in her hair, lightly scratching her scalp. She hummed a little and settled in. She slowly remembered where she was. 

With Cat. She was with Cat. She was laying in Cat’s bed, with Cat. Kara didn’t dare move or open her eyes for fear of losing this moment that certainly couldn’t be real. 

Sometime during the night their positions had changed. Cat was laying on her back and Kara had her head on her chest, tucked under her chin. With one hand, Cat was running her fingers through Kara’s hair, while the other was lightly holding on to the arm that Kara had draped around Cat’s waist. 

Kara instinctively squeezed the other woman, trying to get just a little closer. 

Then Cat whispered, “Are you awake?” 

Kara didn’t want to answer. She wanted to pretend she was still sleeping. She didn’t want Cat to stop moving her fingers through her hair and she absolutely, positively did not want to get up. 

She whispered back, “If I say yes, are you going to ask me to leave?” Her eye were still closed but her brows were knit together, terrified of the answer that was coming. 

She felt Cat’s fingers stop moving. Kara’s muscles tensed. But then she heard Cat say, just above a whisper, “Of course not, darling.” Kara could tell by her tone that Cat was surprised at the question. 

She opened her mouth and released a breath of relief as she felt Cat pull her even closer. She pulled her hand out of Kara’s hair and wrapped her arms around her. Cat held her as close as she could. Kara let herself be held. She had never in her life been held like this. Hugged, yes. Alex was a hugger, and so was Eliza. But held? No, she’d never just been held. 

“Can we stay like this?” There was a desperation in Kara’s voice that Cat wanted so much to sooth. 

Cat told her, “We can stay like this as long as you want.” She moved her hand back to Kara’s hair, relaxing her firm grip a little. Kara hummed contentedly again as she felt Cat resume running her fingers along her hair. 

It was still dark outside. They didn’t have to get up for a while. They were happy to lay there together, enjoying the more intimate setting. 

Finally, Cat’s hand stopped moving and she said, seriously, “Kara, I’m the one that asked you out for drinks. I gave you unfettered access to the most secret part of my life. I’m the one that asked you to stay last night.” Her voice was still soft, but she was trying to make a point. “If I didn’t want you to be here, you wouldn’t be. I want you here.” She reassumed her tight hold on Kara. “You have to start trusting me.” 

Kara opened her mouth and breathed out another breath. She lifted her head from its comfy position tucked under Cat’s chin. She looked at Cat. She was struck by how sincere Cat looked, like she needed Kara to trust her, not just that she wanted her to. 

“You’re right,” Kara said, nodding. After a pause, she said it again, for confirmation, “You’re right.” After another moment of taking in Cat’s relaxed features, she laid her head back down and closed her eyes again. 

They stayed like that until the last possible minute they could before they both needed to get ready for the day. Kara finally extracted herself from the comfort of Cat’s arms. Cat rolled to her side, watching as Kara whooshed from the robe back into her Supergirl super suit.

She smiled at Kara while still laying on the bed. Kara stood there, glued to the space, not wanting to leave. But she walked back over to the bed and crawled over to Cat. 

She was on her hands and knees and Cat saw her expression change. Kara’s eyes became more intense. Something about that suit brings out this fire in her, Cat thought. She stayed there, looking at Cat. She wanted her. Cat could see it on her face. But it was too soon. She could see that knowledge on Kara’s face as well. 

Cat gently reached a hand up to Kara’s cheek. The younger woman closed her eyes at the touch and some of her intensity subsided. 

“I don’t want to go,” Kara said firmly, with her eyes still closed. “I want to stay here, in this room, with you.”

“Soon,” Cat promised. “When the timing is right and we’re on the same page.”

Kara just sighed a frustrated sigh and opened her eyes. She nodded. Then she said, “I want to kiss you.”

Cat’s lips parted with the smile she gave. “But neither one of us could stop at a kiss. Not in this moment.” Cat spoke slowly and Kara nodded again. She begrudgingly backed off the bed to stand back to her feet. 

She looked out the window. She sun was coming up. She turned back to Cat and smiled brightly. “What?” Cat asked her, propping up on an elbow, thinking that smile was beautiful. 

The storm front that had hovered over National City for days had finally lifted. “The clouds are gone. The sun is coming out,” Kara told her. 

Cat caught the double meaning. She tilted her head toward the small balcony doors in the bedroom. “Go fly, Supergirl.” 

Kara just nodded. In a flash of blue and red, she was gone. Cat laid back down on the bed. She closed her eyes and released a breath. Hurry up and get ready, she thought, she’ll be there when you get there. 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

And she was there. As Cat strutted off the elevator, her eyes immediately landed on Kara. She walked with authority toward Kara’s desk. But before she could get there, a staffer stopped her, forcing her eyes away from Kara’s, needing a signature for a delivery. She signed quickly and looked back to Kara. 

No sooner had she taken three more steps when one of her top Trib reporters walked up to her with some papers. Kara overhead the phrase, ‘It’ll only take a minute.’ 

Department heads began filtering into Cat’s office for their usual meeting. Kara watched them walk in, disappointed that she was missing her chance to talk to Cat. She looked back to where she was standing and talking with the reporter, reviewing an outline for an article that she needed to approve. 

Finally, the young man walked away. Cat just stood there and looked over to Kara. She gave Kara an exasperated sigh, though she was smiling. Kara smiled back and shrugged. When Cat finally made it to her, she stood in front of her and Kara passed her latte between them. 

Cat took it and just said, “Thank you.”

Kara just said, “You’re welcome.” 

Then, rolling her eyes, Cat sarcastically said, “Let’s go,” and they turned to walk into the office. 

Cat moved the meeting along quickly. She listened intently to everyone’s ideas, dismissing the ones she hated with a dramatic wave her hand and a distasteful look, accepting the ones she liked with the slightest nod. 

Kara secretly loved watching her in these meetings. She was so laid back and so confident. She never second guessed her decisions. She was always fair. Every once in a while during these meetings, Cat would make a small monologue about integrity or being innovative or about how CatCo was the was best damn media outlet in the world, and it was because of their hard work. 

For all of her harshness, she could always rally the troops. No one could work a room like Cat Grant. Not because she was a good actor or because she was deceptive. But because she was always genuine. Everyone believed her because she always believed herself. She was amazing. 

Kara had to rein her thoughts back in. By the time she had stopped admiring Cat, the meeting was over. Cat was standing behind her desk and dismissed everyone with a wave, saying, “Everyone out. Kiera, stay.” 

The others filtered out and Kara slowly walked over to the desk. Cat looked up to her, her features soft. Kara smiled a little and said, “Hey.”

Cat smiled back, “Hi.” Then she added, feeling a little vulnerable, “I missed you when you left.”

Kara did that shy thing she did and glanced away with a smile. Then she nodded and said, “Me too.”

She sighed and her expression became serious. “Cat, we need to go to the DEO. Today. My sister still wants to help.”

Cat’s eyes dropped and Kara saw as her face clouded over. Cat had enjoyed the short reprieve from the darkness. She looked back up to Kara and she nodded. If she had to walk back into the darkness, she wanted Kara beside her. 

Finally she said, “Let’s finish up here as quickly as we can. We’ll go after work.” Kara agreed with a compassionate look. She knew it was all starting to get to Cat. 

They bustled through the day. Cat’s anxiousness increased with every hour that passed. She kept having to take deep breathes to calm herself. She was still confident in her decision to seek help from the DEO. She didn’t mind sharing information. But part of her was afraid. What if Bruce was right? What if working alone was the best way to get things done? 

No. She pushed the doubt away. She had to. She needed help. She couldn’t keep up. With every new set of faces and facts she added to her chart she became more overwhelmed. She felt more bogged down. 

When it started, she had contacted Bruce simply to get Lucius' help with an algorithm to track a license plate number. When Bruce had asked her why, she had told him everything. Everything about Kari, everything about what she was learning about National City's growing problems, everything about how no one seemed to care or know how to stop it. Even more so, how she felt that something more sinister was happening. 

Bruce had seen how troubled Cat was. And he could see that Cat was afraid of how close it was to home. He immediately agreed to help. 

The longer she and Bruce had talked the more she felt compelled to take on the problem herself. Bruce had promised he would help however he could. It was only a couple days later that Cat had called him back and asked him to train her. She knew she would need the skills to get as close as she could. 

She trained for months. When Bruce was available, he came to the city to instruct her. When he wasn’t available, he was on the video conference program, instructing her from Gotham City. He made her fast and strong and taught her to fight smart. 

Lucius helped with the tech side. He wrote algorithms to track all kinds of information for her. He manufactured her weapons, including the kryptonite bracelets, which Bruce had kept on hand before he and Superman had come to their agreement. Lucius had also designed her special mask and boots. He had given her a few other gadgets she had yet to use. She was still new at this. 

Cat had made a lot of headway on her own. So much, in fact, that her ability to achieve the ultimate goal was no longer going to be possible on her own. 

She had thought about asking for Supergirl’s help many times. Part of her had hoped that when the story broke, Kara would, indeed figure it out. Though she had hoped that she would simply come talk to her, Cat knew there was also a possibility that Supergirl would try to intervene. She took precautions, but she hoped she would never need the kryptonite. She had been fully prepared to tell Kara everything. But she didn’t ask. The trust between her and Kara had been so thin.

And she was terrified that the tenuous affection growing between them would be shattered if Kara knew what she was up to. Thankfully she had already overcome that hurdle and come clean about the Vigilante. Kara knew her secret and the feelings between them were only stronger. Now it was Kara’s turn to show Cat that she could be trusted to let Cat lead. 

She would see soon enough. People were beginning to filter out of the bullpen. Cat stood and walked over to the small bar in her office. She poured herself a drink and took a big swallow, shutting her eyes tight. 

She turned and saw Kara in the doorway, leaning against its frame. She took a breath in and gave Kara a small smile. Kara just asked, “Ready?” 

Cat looked away. She lifted the glass and tossed her head back, emptying it. She set it down and looked at Kara with a firm, “Yes.”

But they didn’t move. Then Cat furrowed her brow, put her hands on her hips, and asked, “Where exactly is the DEO?”

Kara laughed a little. “In the desert. North of the city.”

“Ah,” Cat responded. Kara waited for the inevitable question, which she already had an answer to. Cat still had her hands on her hips. “And how exactly am I going to get there?” 

Kara just walked up to her slowly with her hands clasped behind her back. She was smiling mischievously as she said, “I’m going to take you.”

She held a hand out, offering it to Cat. Cat’s eye brows were up, but she slowly reached out to take the hand. Kara pulled her gently toward the balcony door. The cool air hit them as they stepped outside. 

Kara pulled her over to the railing and turned to face her, still smiling. She turned her head to be sure no one could see. The offices had emptied out. They were alone. Kara stepped back a bit and went into tornado mode. She moved so fast, it created a breeze that blew Cat’s hair. 

Then Supergirl was standing in front of Cat. She offered her the hand again. Cat just barely shook her head, slowly, and said, “This is a bad idea.” She took a glance down over the railing. 

Kara laughed. “I’m not going to drop you.” She watched as Cat looked back to her and closed her eyes, scrunching her face together in apprehension. “Cat, look at me.”

Cat slowly relaxed her face and opened her eyes. Reaching her hand out a little farther, Kara said, “You can trust me.”

Cat took a deep breath. She did trust Kara. She took her hand and Kara playfully pulled her, hard, into her arms. Cat couldn’t help the laugh she let out as Kara pulled her in. It made Kara laugh too. 

They looked at each other with wide smiles. Kara’s hands were around her waist and Cat’s hands had wrapped around Kara’s neck. Cat’s smile faded as her eyes darted from Kara’s eyes to her lips and back again. Kara’s smile faded when she saw the movement of Cat’s eyes. 

Kara slowly leaned in, her eyes on Cat’s, silently asking permission. When she saw the other woman’s eyes shut, she closed the distance between their lips. They kissed each other softly. But the softness didn’t dampen the jolt that went through Kara’s body at finally kissing Cat again. Really kissing her. 

She wrapped her arms more fully around Cat’s core and Cat opened her mouth, deepening the contact. She needed this. Their mouths began to move together as Cat slipped one hand up to Kara’s hair. She scratched her scalp, but not with the tenderness she had earlier that morning. She pulled Kara into her. Their teeth scraped and Cat pulled her mouth away from Kara’s and redirected it to her neck. 

Kara inhaled sharply at the wet contact of Cat’s tongue on her skin. She tangled a hand in her shorter hair, almost trying to pull that beautiful mouth closer. Cat lightly sucked her way down Kara’s neck and back up the other side. Kara dipped her head down when she felt Cat’s heavy breath against her collar bone. 

Cat unconsciously pushed Kara against the railing. Kara’s head was beginning to get foggy as Cat captured her lips again in a hot kiss. Cat was trying to pour every ounce of passion she felt for Kara into these kisses. Kara moaned against her mouth. 

Then Cat slowed down the pace of the kisses. She released the grip she had taken on Kara’s hair. She kissed her lips one more time. Then her cheek. Then her jaw. Then she slowly pulled back. 

Kara’s eyes were still closed and she was still breathing hard. She hadn’t loosened her grip on Cat. The older woman watched her face. Even with her eyes closed, she could see the conflict on Kara’s face. Then the conflict came out in words. Kara slowly leaned her forehead against Cat’s and breathed out, “I wanna stay here.”

It was so similar to her words from earlier. Cat put her hands on Kara’s face and pulled back just enough to get Kara to look at her. When she finally opened her blue eyes, they looked so deep. Cat thought she could drown in those eyes. They held so much longing. 

They just watched each other, allowing the intensity of the moment to pass over them. Kara took a deep breath. Cat didn’t need to say anything. They had always had an unspoken language between them. Cat’s expression told her that she wanted to stay too. But they still had a job to do. 

Kara watched as one side of Cat’s mouth quirked up just a touch. It was her way of saying ‘Let’s go.’

Kara took another breath. She had been looking forward to this part. She knelt down a little and put one arm behind Cat’s knees and one around her waist. She easily scooped the smaller woman into her arms. Cat instinctively put her arms around Kara’s shoulders. She couldn’t help but smile a little as Supergirl literally swept her off her feet.

“I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to do this,” Kara said to her. 

“And I can’t tell you how long I’ve been avoiding it,” Cat said, sarcastically. She looked back over the railing and made a whiny noise that made Kara laugh. 

Slowly, easily, Kara lifted them off the balcony floor. Cat held on tighter as they left the safety of the balcony and floated over the city. She pressed her forehead against Kara’s temple. Kara simply cradled her a little closer. 

“Cat, you never told me you’re afraid of heights,” Kara said. 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Cat responded, her eyes shut tight as she still held her head against Kara’s temple, “I’ve base jumped off-,”

“Mount Kilimanjaro, I know,” Kara interrupted, smiling. “I told you that you can trust me. Cat, open your eyes.”

Cat took a breath and did open her eyes. She kept her head against Kara’s, but she slowly turned it to face in front of them. Then she lifted her head and took a deep breath in and unconsciously held it. 

They were at the top of the city. They were high enough to see the ocean, where the sun was setting. All the night time lights were coming on in the city below them. They watched as the sky started to turn dark orange, and then pink. It was beautiful. They hovered there for long minutes.

Cat put a hand on Kara’s cheek and said, “Thank you for showing me this.” She kissed her cheek gently. 

“This is what I see when I look at this city,” Kara began, “I can see everything from up here. I can see the people. I can see the them helping each other cross the street. I can see the parents dropping their kids off at school. I can see store owners opening and closing up. I see people talking and laughing while they take a walk in the park.” The small smile she had been wearing faded. “And I can see when someone tries to hurt someone else. But, Cat, I never saw what you saw. I never saw the shady deals and the violence. I never saw the connections. And I’m sorry about that.”

Cat’s expression turned to compassion. Supergirl did everything she could to help this city every day. She knew that Kara must have felt guilty. 

Cat still had a hand on her cheek when she quietly said, “Let’s fix it.”

Kara nodded and moved them forward, toward the DEO. 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They touched down outside the bunkers not too long after. Kara carefully put Cat down on her feet. Cat kept her hands on Kara’s shoulders, steadying herself. Her adrenaline had been pumping the entire time they were in the air. As she felt her heart rate returning to normal and the jelly like feeling in her legs subsiding, she released her hold on Kara. 

Cat took a step back and appraised her surroundings. Yep, this was the desert alright. Cat looked at the above ground bunkers that were dug into the landscape. She immediately deduced that the bulk of the DEO was underground. 

Kara let her take it in for a moment. Then she lightly took her hand and led her to the metal entry doors. She punched in a code and the doors opened. They walked down a long corridor. Cat was suddenly aware of herself and released Kara’s hand. Kara glanced over to her and watched as she ran her fingers through her hair and set her jaw. Cat lifted her chin a little and turned on the swagger in her hips. Wow, Kara thought, I need to figure out where that on/off switch is. 

They turned left down a shorter corridor. At the end, the stone walls opened up into a large bullpen area. The walls were covered with screens showing all manner of information. Agents dressed in black bustled about. In one corner was a door marked ‘Armory.’ The door was open slightly and Cat saw all different types of weapons, big ones. The placed oozed military efficiency and hardness. Cat suddenly felt very out of her element. Of course, that didn’t effect her persona, though. 

“Ma’am,” Cat looked up as an agent addressed Supergirl. “Are you looking for Agent Danvers?”

Kara smiled at her. Kara always smiled, Cat thought. “I am, Vasquez.” 

“I’ll let her know you’re here.” She eyed Cat, suspiciously and Cat slightly narrowed her eyes back. Kara knew her defenses were up. 

“You don’t have to worry,” she tried to reassure Cat. But Cat didn’t answer. Instead her eyes were darting around the entire place. Kara knew she would have the entire layout memorized in a few seconds. 

Cat felt edgy and uncomfortable. She was very thankful that Kara was with her. She watched a taller, attractive woman come into the bullpen. She walked with authority, Cat noticed. She could always pick out another alpha. As the young woman came closer her eyes landed on Kara and she smiled. “Hey, sis.”

Cat watched as the woman, who looked only slightly older than Kara, put her arms around Kara’s shoulders. Kara hugged her back with a big smile. “Hey, Alex.” They pulled apart and Alex’s eyes went to Cat. Kara quickly introduced them. “Alex, this is Cat Grant. Cat, my sister, Alex Danvers.”

Alex reached her hand out. Cat observed her apprehensive expression. Cat took her hand in a firm handshake. They held each other’s eyes and didn’t let go of each other’s hands, which they were holding a little more firmly than necessary. 

Cat knew the look in Alex’s eyes. It clearly said, ‘Fuck with my sister and I will be your end.’ Cat wasn’t one to back down. She made sure her eyes conveyed something along the lines of, ‘Fuck with me, and I will ruin you.’

Kara noticed them both wearing a similar expression and instantly feared for the lives of everyone close by. Thankfully, the only thing that came out of their mouths was, “Ms. Grant.”

“Agent Danvers.”

Then the tension stretched out.

“Oh gosh, come on,” Kara broke in, grabbing either arm and pulling the painful hand shake apart. “We are on the same team here.” 

“We’ll see,” Cat said, nonchalantly. Kara shot her a ‘watch it' look. Cat shot her the same one back. 

Alex took a deep breath and said, “Come with me.” It was obvious that the best to work with Cat Grant was going to be just to work. So Alex decided to dive in. 

On one of the large screens, she pulled up the connection chart she had been working on. She had added a few more faces but it was still minimal. 

She looked toward Cat. “This is all I can piece together on my own. I know this operation is massive just based on the change in the city's statistics, but I don’t know where to look.” Alex paused. “Supergirl told me about Carter and Kari. I want to get these guys. If we work together, I think we can do it.” 

Cat just looked to Kara, who gave her a small nod. She looked back to Alex. She didn’t respond. She was still unsure. 

“Ms. Grant,” Alex’s expression softened just a touch. “I care about this city, too.”

Cat sighed, loudly. She pulled out her phone. She clicked away for a moment and then looked up at the large screen. She cast a file to it and her own chart opened up over Alex’s. The one Kara had seen the night before. Cat watched as Alex’s eye brows went up and her mouth opened. She was shocked at the shear number of people on the chart. 

“You had no idea what you were saying when you said this operation is massive,” Cat told her. “Hundreds of dealers all over the city,” Cat walked up to the screen and indicated all those highlighted in blue. “At least a hundred buyers,” she pointed to the section highlighted in yellow. “Dozens of unpackers, cutters and repackers.” The section in green. “Fifteen lieutenants.” Black. “All of them loyal to this man.” Cat pointed to the man at the top of the chart, highlighted in red. Then she looked back to Alex. 

“Police Chief, Rudy Jones?” Alex asked. She needed confirmation. It didn’t seem possible. 

“Police Chief, Rudy Jones,” Cat repeated. “He was appointed chief just a few weeks before all this started, after his predecessor died.” Cat looked back to the photo, still not able to shake the feeling that there was more to him. 

“Can you prove this?” Alex asked her. 

Cat swiped around on her phone again and cast something to another screen. It was photos and video of the ring, along with some news articles. The articles Danny had been writing all week, plus some from other outlets besides CatCo. Cat clicked play on the video. If Alex wanted to help, she needed to be invested. 

She watched Alex’s face as she watched the video of Kari in the alley. Alex closed her eyes, thankful that there was no audio. She looked back to Cat. 

“It might not prove that he is the head of all this,” she made a sweeping movement with her arm over the screens, “but it proves he murdered Kari. The information facts from these articles place him at the top of the this chain.” She paused. “I’m still working on the fact checking,” she said, discouraged that she hadn’t been able to finish it by now. It was just so much. 

Alex took in the information. It was a lot. She never would have come up with all this on her own. She nodded to Cat and asked, “So what’s your plan?”

Cat walked back over to the first screen. “We work from the bottom up. Take down the buyers and the dealers get anxious and make mistakes. Take down the cutters and packers and they have to scramble to get the product out. The lieutenants start to make mistakes and we take them down. Then,” she pointed back go Jones, “before he knows it, everything is falling apart and he makes mistakes. And we take him down. Not to mention all the information we’ll get from these lower level guys in the process.” 

Alex sighed, “That’ll take too long. Let’s just take Jones and prove it later.”

Cat shook her head. “If we do that, then one of these others will just take his place and the whole thing keeps going.” Cat shot Alex a small glare and added, “And you can’t just ‘prove it later.’ That’s how criminals get off every day.”

Alex ignored the dig. “We don’t even know how to find these guys. How are we supposed to do what you’re suggesting?”

Again, Cat tapped away on her phone. She commandeered another screen and cast a shot of several camera shots tracking license plates through the city. Alex stepped closer and watched as the cameras tracked a black Mercedes as it traveled through downtown. Another was tracking a late model Impala. Another was just watching a parked car. 

“Wait,” Alex said, “how did you get our wifi?”

Cat smiled while she watched the plate tracking algorithm work. “I have smart friends,” she said. “This program is tracking every license plate I’ve recorded them using. We have eyes on those cars at all times.”

Kara smiled, “That’s amazing, Cat. This should give us exactly what we need to keep moving along.”

Cat nodded. “This is how I knew where they were packing orders. There’s also this.” She tapped and took up another screen. 

This time there was an agent using it. He turned with a “Hey!” 

“Don’t worry,” Cat drawled. “You can go back to your online shopping shortly.”

The agent looked at Alex, who gave him an apologetic shrug. 

Screen shots of a notebook popped up on the screen. “I found this at the warehouse last weekend. It has buyers listed going back for months.”

Alex was impressed. Kara could see it on her face. “Okay,” Alex said. “So what now?” 

Cat, Kara, and Alex all looked back and forth between one another. The two sisters looked expectantly at Cat, but Cat seemed unsure. She just looked to Kara. 

Kara slowly walked the few steps it took to stand in front of her. “Hey, I told you, you can trust the DEO. We want to help, not take over.”

Then Alex stepped up to them. “No one knows this like you, Ms. Grant, that’s clear,” her eyes nodded to the screens. “You tell us what to do.”

Cat looked between them and Kara saw the emotion creeping into her eyes. She knew how tired Cat was. Tired of fighting alone. Tired of feeling like no one was with her. She closed her eyes and breathed out. She wanted to hug Kara, she felt so relieved. But she glanced to Alex and composed herself, not wanting to appear weak in front of the elder Danvers. 

She straightened herself up and turned back to the screen. “You know, these guys aren’t afraid of anything. They think as long as they stay loyal that Jones will protect them.”

Alex asked, “You want to compromise that loyalty?”

Cat nodded. “I want to give them something to be afraid of.”

Kara asked, “How do we do that?”

Cat answered. “No more hiding in the shadows.” She turned and looked back to the screens. “No more avoiding the cameras. I take them down, hard, so everyone can see.” She turned back to the sisters. “We let the Vigilante loose.”

Alex nodded and jumped in. “Our team here can do the logistics. We can monitor all this intel and get you set up.” She looked at Cat compassionately. “It must have taken weeks just set up one hit. We can get this done so much faster together.”

“Thank you, Agent Danvers,” Cat said honestly. 

They spent more time going over the intelligence Cat had spent months gathering. Kara was surprised at how well Alex and Cat were working together. She thought Cat would be much less cooperative and possessive of her information. But, once again, she was faster to trust than Kara had thought. 

She watched as Cat and Alex leaned over a work station, already working out their first operation. They talked animatedly and Cat even said something that made Alex laugh, just a little. Kara thought it was wonderful. Cat in her expensive blouse, pencil skirt and high heels. Alex in her black slacks and long sleeved sport shirt, tactical belt around her hips. Total opposites, working side by side. 

Finally, hours later, they said their goodbyes to Alex and headed out. When they got outside, Kara smiled at Cat. “You and my sister work well together.”

Cat shrugged. “She seems competent enough.”

“You’re going to love her,” Kara said.

Cat just smiled back a little. “I’m leaning that direction with another Danvers sister.” She lifted her arms around Kara’s shoulders. Kara let out the smallest laugh and dipped her head down in that shy way she had. But Cat put a finger under her chin and guided her eyes back up. Then she just watched her. She liked watching Kara. She took her fingers and ran them through Kara’s hair and she closed her eyes at the touch. 

Kara leaned down and, once again, scooped Cat up in her arms and held her tighter than she had the first time. Cat just closed her eyes and laid her head on the cozy spot in the crook of Kara’s neck. 

Kara flew slowly back to the city. Cat kept reaching up and putting her fingers in Kara’s hair or touching her face or she would place a kiss on her temple. She was so much more relaxed. She would swing her legs every once in a while and she was freely looking all around, enjoying the view.

After a while, Kara said, “I love this side of you.” 

Cat smiled, suddenly realizing how affectionate she was being. Her response was to simply nuzzle back into Kara’s neck. When they touched down behind Cat’s house, neither moved to separate. Kara didn’t put her down and Cat’s hands stayed on Kara. 

Finally Cat said, “I should go in.” Kara just nodded. 

“Oh.” Kara realized she still hadn’t put her down. She laughed a little and lowered Cat to her feet. As soon as her feet were on the ground, Cat reached up to pull Kara into a hug. Kara wrapped her arms around Cat, too. 

“Thank you, Kara.” 

“For what,” Kara asked her. 

“For helping me. I can’t tell you how you have lightened this burden for me. Being at the DEO, talking to you and your sister just made me feel like I wasn’t alone.”

Kara gently put her hand on Cat’s face. “Cat, I promise that I will walk with you through this until it’s finished.”

Cat leaned up and tenderly kissed Kara’s lips. Then, without a word, she walked toward the house. With one last look over her shoulder, Cat disappeared behind the door. 

Kara just smiled after her. Then she shook her head and giggled to herself. What I am doing, she thought. She had been under Cat Grant’s spell since the beginning. The very beginning. But now that she had kissed those lips, slept in her arms, Kara knew she was done for. She was forever ruined for the other woman. 

Kara slowly lifted herself off the ground. She felt like the ground was pulling her back down. She never wanted to leave Cat’s presence. She turned to head home, knowing sleep would not come easy. She would miss Cat tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: the Vigilante goes on the war path. 
> 
> A little Danvers-Grant family time.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thanks for taking the time to read!


End file.
